Gigi Shafai, Pharm D.
Associate Director, Medical Information Management- Medical Scientific Affairs
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals
Gigi Shafai is the Associate Director of Medical Information Management in the Medical Scientific Affairs department at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, MA. She earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy from Northeastern University- Bouvé College of Pharmacy in Boston, MA and completed an industry fellowship in Clinical Study Management with Roche Labs.
With over 10 years of experience, she brings a versatile background starting from hospital and retail pharmacy to cross-functional pharmaceutical industry experience. She has previously worked at Salix, Genzyme, Roche, and American Regent. She has applied her clinical background in both field-based and headquarters capacities, in areas pertaining to Med Info and Medical Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Clinical and R&D Operations, Business Development, supporting Commercial team efforts, and some Regulatory Affairs projects.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DOES THE PHRASE “CUSTOMER CENTRIC” MEAN IN RELATION TO MEDICAL INFORMATION?
As the medical core of the organization, medical information teams constantly evolve to support the information needs of both internal and external groups to ultimately benefit patients through evidence-based medicine in a fair and balanced way.
WHY IS THE ROLE OF MEDICAL INFORMATION TEAMS WITHIN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY SO VITAL TO THE ORGANIZATION’S SUCCESS?
We are the scientific experts who translate medicine via scientific communication with our customers and who bring information back to the organization from what we learn through scientific exchange as well as published and unpublished literature. This information becomes a tool that helps drive our research, move forward our product development, facilitates the latest understanding of our product and disease literature and, most importantly, provides practical feedback to the organization in order to benefit our current and future patient populations.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO REGARDING THE CUSTOMER CENTRIC MEDICAL INFORMATION CONFERENCE THIS JUNE?
By communicating with an audience of colleagues with a similar understanding of medical information activities, I look forward to recognizing the similar successes and challenges amongst Med Info groups across organizations of varying sizes and corporate stages.
WHAT IS YOUR INSPIRATION OR MOTIVATION FOR PROGRESS IN MEDICAL INFORMATION?
To cross-functionally bring to bear literature surveillance and medical knowledge, in a manner that advances the missions and objectives of our organizations.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE PHYSICIANS AND/OR PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS WANT FROM MEDICAL INFORMATION TEAMS?
Concise, up-to-date responses to targeted inquiries that support appropriate and clinically relevant patient care in real-time.
Gigi will be one of our distinguished presenters at the Customer Centric Medical Information Conference.
