Sherif Mahmoud, BSc(Pharm), MSc, PhD, FNCS

Area of Study / Keywords

Translational Pharmacotherapy Pharmacokinetics Neurocritical Care Epilepsy Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Herpes Encephalitis Augmented Renal Clearance Antiseizure Medications Patient Assessment Pharmacogenomics Metabolomics

About

Dr. Sherif Hanafy Mahmoud, BSc (Pharm), MSc, PhD, FNCS is an associate professor and Associate Dean, Academic at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is also the Research Director and a neurocritical care pharmacist at the University of Alberta Hospital Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Mahmoud received his pharmacy degree and master’s in clinical pharmacy from Ain-Shams University and his PhD in pharmacokinetics from the University of Alberta. This in addition to his clinical research training at Harvard Medical School, USA. Dr. Mahmoud has excelled in diverse roles as a clinician, researcher, educator and leader for more than 25 years. Dr. Mahmoud's numerous awards, peer-reviewed publications, and invited national/international presentations underscore his significant impact.

Dr. Mahmoud is an internationally recognized speaker and leader in pharmacy practice and neurocritical care. Dr. Mahmoud studies how neurological injury and other patient factors affect the action of medications, an important avenue for personalized medicine. Dr. Mahmoud’s work has contributed to changes in clinical practice locally and globally in the fields of neurocritical care. Additionally, Dr. Mahmoud contributed to global pharmacy education by developing various tools aimed at supporting pharmacists worldwide. As the editor of the textbook "Patient Assessment in Clinical Pharmacy: A Comprehensive Guide," published by Springer, this resource has garnered over 300,000 downloads and is embraced by many pharmacy schools and practitioners worldwide for enhancing patient assessment skills in diverse settings.

Dr. Mahmoud received numerous prestigious accolades. Dr. Mahmoud was named the 2024 Canadian Pharmacist of the Year by the Canadian Pharmacists Association and received the Practice Innovation Award by Pharmacy Practice + Business magazine for pioneering neurocritical care pharmacy practice. In addition, he was inducted as the Fellow of the Neurocritical Care Society and received numerous Presidential Citations for his outstanding service. His impactful research and practice innovations have not only contributed to neurocritical care and epilepsy management but have also paved the way for future generations of pharmacists to push the boundaries of the profession further.

Dr. Mahmoud has extensive leadership experience, previously as director of the Certificate in Canadian Pharmacy Practice (CCPP) program and currently as Associate Dean Academic and the Research Director of the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit. He has led initiatives promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) while enhancing academic programs and student services. His efforts include revising PharmD admissions policies to prioritize underrepresented populations, developing a recruitment plan for the PharmD program, contributing to student services, strategic planning, accreditation, and educational programs development and evaluation. Beyond institutional service, his active engagement with the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), where he assumed key leadership roles, highlights his commitment to advancing pharmacy practice and collaborative research. 

Dr. Mahmoud's Lab Website - Neurotherapeutics and Clinical Pharmacokinetics Laboratory (Neuro-CPK)

Education

GCSRT – Clinical Research Training, Harvard Medical School

Advanced training in methods and conduct of clinical research (clinical trials and epidemiology) 

PhD, Pharmacokinetics, University of Alberta

Master of Science, Clinical Pharmacy, Ain Shams University

Bachelor of Science, Pharmacy, Ain Shams University

Clinical Practice

Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta

Select Recognitions

Practice Innovation Award, Pharmacy Practice + Business (2026)

Finalist, the 36th Annual ASTech Awards (Category Medical/Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals) (2025)

2025 Presidential Citation, Neurocritical Care Society Annual Meeting (2025)

Canadian Pharmacist of the Year, Canadian Pharmacists Association (2024)

2024 Presidential Citation, Neurocritical Care Society Annual Meeting (2024)

Teaching Excellence Award (Year 3), Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta (2024)

2023 Presidential Citation, Neurocritical Care Society Annual Meeting (2023)

2021 Presidential Citation, Neurocritical Care Society Annual Meeting (2021)

Fellow of the Neurocritical Care Society - FNCS (2020)

2020 Presidential Citation, Neurocritical Care Society Virtual Annual Meeting (2020)

2018 Presidential Citation, Neurocritical Care Society, Annual Meeting (2018)

Teaching Excellence Award, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta (2016)

Preceptor Recognition Award, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta (2016) 

Staff Pharmacist of The Year, University of Alberta Hospital Pharmacy, Alberta Health Services (2010)

Publications – A complete list of publications can be found here.

Books and Book Chapters 

1. Patient Assessment in Clinical Pharmacy: A Comprehensive Guide Second Edition (Springer Nature; 2026) - Editor. Link to Book is here

1. Patient Assessment in Clinical Pharmacy: A Comprehensive Guide (Springer Nature; 2019) - Editor. Link to Book is here

2. Drugs and Drugs: A Practical Guide to the Safe Use of Common Drugs in Adults - Section Co-editor (Neurologic Agents)

Research

Dr. Mahmoud's research focuses on finding better ways to care for people with serious brain emergencies and epilepsy. He studies how brain injuries affect the way medicines work in the body, with the goal of making treatments more precise and effective for each patient.  

Dr. Mahmoud's research (Neuro-CPK lab) centers on understanding how neurological injuries influence drug action and disposition. The lab bridges basic research with clinical applications to improve patient outcomes. The overall goal of the Neuro-CPK lab is to translate benchside and bedside observations into clinical practice protocols that will potentially improve outcomes in patients with neurological illnesses including neurocritical care population. This goal is pursued through diverse methodologies, including critical appraisal of clinical trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, design and conduct of retrospective and prospective observational studies, pharmacokinetic studies and clinical trials. Additionally, the lab incorporates wet lab techniques to investigate the underlying pathophysiological changes driving observed alterations in drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This multifaceted approach enables a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by patients with neurological conditions, guiding personalized therapeutic strategies to improve efficacy and safety. 

Funding: Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), University Hospital Foundation (UHF), Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy Foundation (CSHP Foundation)

1. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a neurological emergency characterized by the extravasation of blood into the subarachnoid space. Although SAH accounts for 5% of all strokes, given the relatively younger age at onset, it has a significant burden on productive-life years. The average mortality rate for SAH has been reported to range from 30-50%, with a significant proportion of survivors left with disability. Neurological and medical complications are common after SAH and contribute significantly to the overall prognosis. The aim of this research is pharmacotherapy optimization of existing therapies and translation of new therapeutics in SAH for the sake of preventing those complications and improving patient outcomes. 

2. Augmented Renal Clearance

Augmented Renal Clearance (ARC) is a phenomenon of enhanced kidney function seen in critically ill patients.  ARC has a significant influence on how medications are removed from the body potentially resulting in insufficient doses and treatment failure subsequently leading to poor patient outcomes and increased health care cost. Therefore, patients with ARC require higher medication doses; however, ARC is largely undetected using kidney assessment methods currently used in practice. In addition, it is not clear how medications should be dosed in those with ARC. The majority of ARC research has not focused on neurocritical care patients where ARC predominantly exists. Therefore, our research aims to characterize the phenomenon of ARC in patients with life-threatening neurological illnesses through identifying the prevalence, risk factors and clinical impact of ARC and to guide improved dosing strategies of commonly used drugs in the ICU.

3. Epilepsy and Status Epilepticus

Epilepsy affects more than 50 million people worldwide and is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. One of the main goals of treatment is to improve patient quality of life by optimizing the balance between seizure control and side effects of the antiseizure medications (ASMs). Although the majority of patients can be adequately controlled with ASMs, a significant number, estimated to be as high as 30 % stay uncontrolled with conventional medical treatment. This can be further complicated if a patient has other comorbidities contributing to poor control.  The aim of this research is pharmacotherapy optimization of ASMs in epilepsy patients with superimposing comorbidities.

Status epilepticus (SE) is the second most common life-threatening neurological illness in the world. It is defined by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) as “a condition resulting either from the failure of the mechanisms responsible for seizure termination or from the initiation of mechanisms which lead to abnormally prolonged seizures (after time point t1). It is a condition that can have long-term consequences (after time point t2), including neuronal death, neuronal injury, and alteration of neuronal networks, depending on the type and duration of seizures.” Due to the significant amount of morbidity and mortality associated with SE, determination of the most effective therapies, particularly in refractory forms of SE, is essential. The aim of this research is pharmacotherapy optimization of existing therapies and translation of new therapeutics in SE for the sake improving patient outcomes.

4. Herpes Encephalitis 

Herpes encephalitis is a life-threatening viral infection of the brain caused primarily by herpes simplex viruses (types 1 and 2) and, less commonly, the varicella-zoster virus. Early administration of acyclovir significantly reduces morbidity and mortality. Without optimal treatment, the mortality rate is approximately 70%, but this can be reduced to around 20% with prompt initiation of acyclovir. The primary aim of this research is to optimize pharmacotherapy and facilitate the translation of new treatments for herpes encephalitis.

Teaching

Teaching Areas:

Patient Assessment Skills for Clinical Pharmacists

Patient assessment is the first step within the pharmacy patient care process, a framework for pharmacists practice. Patient assessment is an integral component of pharmacists’ day-to-day practice regardless of their practice setting (community, hospitals, and specialized clinics). Therefore, acquiring patient assessment skills is indispensable for proper patient care. Dr. Mahmoud is the editor of “Patient Assessment in Clinical Pharmacy: A Comprehensive Guide”, an indispensable resource for pharmacists looking to learn or improve crucial patient assessment skills relevant to all pharmacy practice settings.

Management of Neurological Disorders for Pharmacists 

This includes, but not limited to, headache disorders, seizures and epilepsy, antiseizure medications, neuropathies, stroke, traumatic brain injury  

Clinical Pharmacokinetics

Basic and advanced principles in pharmacokinetics and their application in clinical practice. 

Clinical Decision Making Skills for Pharmacists

Advanced skills to facilitate critical thinking, evidence search and appraisal and decision making in clinical practice 

Courses Taught at the University of Alberta: 

PHARM 444: Neurology and Oncology

PHARM 448: Advanced Pharmacotherapy

EXPH 2553: CCPP Pharmacotherapy I

PHARM 312: BASE III (Behavioral, Administrative, Social and Evidence based Pharmacy)

PHARM 203: Introduction to Pharmacology

PHARM 417: Neurology

PHARM 447: Psychiatry

PHARM 489: Seminars in Therapeutics and Professional Practice

PHARM 503: Advanced Pharmacotherapy

PHARM 523: Advanced Pharmacotherapy - Part I

PHARM 532: Patient Assessment

PHARM 533: Advanced Pharmacotherapy - Part II

Nursing 215: Pharmacotherapeutics in Nursing (Faculty of Nursing)

PMCOL 306: Drug Disposition and Metabolism (Dept. of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry)

BIOCH 415: Metabolic Modifications in Health and Disease (Dept. of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry)

2026 April;

• Bringing the bench to the bedside in neurocritical pharmaceutical care
• Check out the winner for our Practice Innovation Award: Sherif Hanafy Mahmoud
• Dr. Mahmoud's Research Laboratory (Neuro-CPK lab)
• Google Scholar - Full List of Publications
• My favorite teaching strategy - Festival of Teaching and Learning
• News Article - Canadian Pharmacist of the Year Announcement
• News Article (Folio) - ‘I will be an advocate for people’
• News Article (Folio) - Different methods of giving patients a drug to prevent stroke complications lead to ‘massive variation’ in outcomes: study
• News Article (Folio) - Researcher tackles ‘super kidney’ challenge in critically ill patients
• News Article (Toronto Star and healthinsight.ca): How Pharmacists Are Bridging Healthcare Gaps
• Patient Assessment in Clinical Pharmacy Textbook