Sarah E. Frew

Sarah E. Frew, a native of Pennsylvania, is a Research Associate at the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, Program on Life Sciences, Ethics and Policy, at the University of Toronto in Canada. Her research addresses health biotechnology business development in emerging markets and developing countries, with a particular focus on the partnerships and internal capabilities of homegrown firms to address local health needs. Dr. Frew has personally visited over 60 select small to medium-sized health biotechnology companies in India, China, Brazil and South Africa, and conducted in-depth interviews with senior management. Through this work she has developed a keen understanding of (1) the capabilities of these nascent sectors along the product development value chain and (2) the strategies utilized by the firms to survive and grow amid a myriad of challenges related to operating in a developing world context.  Multiple audiences have shown their interest in this work, including: biotechnology firms seeking partnerships, venture capitalists seeking investment opportunities, foundations interested in global health solutions, and developing world governments seeking ideas about successful innovation strategies.  Currently, Dr. Frew is working closely with an international network of venture capitalists that is focused on investments in the emerging and developing economies.  She was also the principal architect of MRC’s highly successful international biotech partnering conference in May 2007, which attracted over 200 participants including presenters from 70 biotech firms from 9 countries.  Dr. Frew graduated with University Honors from Carnegie Mellon University, and holds a PhD in cancer cell biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  She has taken courses on international science and technology policy and entrepreneurship at the Kennedy School of government (Harvard University) and the Sloan School of Management (MIT). In October 2007, she received an executive management certificate from Harvard Business School for completing the “Launching New Ventures” program.