A UNIT OF THE U-M MEDICAL SCHOOL OFFICE OF RESEARCH
March 14, 2018
Upcoming Events :
EVENT   DATE WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Biotech Career Panel


Friday,
March 23, 2018
9:30am-10:30am
Med Sci II, West Lecture Hall
Anyone interested in non-academic biotech careers can attend the Biotech Career Panel, where experts from University administration, staff, and support positions will share how they transitioned from the lab bench to where they are now.

This panel is part of a series from the Biotech Career Exploration Program provided by Fast Forward Medical Innovation, the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research, and the UMMS Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Mi-Kickstart Proposal Workshop
Thursday,
April 5, 2018
12:00pm-1:00pm
Webinar 

Researchers interested in learning more about FFMI's early-stage
Mi-Kickstart funding opportunity can participate in this webinar that walks through the Mi-Kickstart award proposal and offers guidance and tips for a successful submission. See article below for more information.
Commercialization of Diagnostic Innovations


Wednesday,
May 9, 2018
1:00pm-4:30pm
BSRB,
ABC Seminar Rooms
Networking mixer to follow
Faculty, staff, and students working on diagnostic technologies and those interested in learning about development resources and collaboration opportunities can join Fast Forward Medical Innovation for an exclusive diagnostic development symposium. The symposium will focus on successful commercialization of diagnostic innovations, including clinical utility, intellectual property protection, regulatory routes, and success stories. RSVP coming soon.
gi
U-M GI Innovation Fund RFP Available
Proposal submissions due March 30

Are you a researcher working in the GI or other related fields and interested in innovation and commercialization?

The U-M Fast Forward Gastrointestinal (GI) Innovation Fund is a three-year, $500,000+ fund supported by a donation from entrepreneur alumna Mary Petrovich and matched by the U-M Medical School's Department of Internal Medicine and its Division of Gastroenterology, as well as the College of Engineering, where Ms. Petrovich received her undergraduate degree.

Proposal submission deadline is March 30, 2018

There are two tiers of funding available. Tier I Awards will be in the range of $25K-$50K and fund projects that address a discrete milestone that is critical to the advancement of research to the point of product development. Tier II Awards will be $75K-$100K and fund projects with specific milestones for proof-of-concept and later-stage translational studies (ranges are estimates and actual funding levels will be project-specific).

CLICK HERE for the Tier I Award RFP.
CLICK HERE for the Tier II Award RFP.

Questions? Email Visha Krishnan, FFMI Senior Business Analyst, or call 734-764-2891.
kickstart
Mi-Kickstart Proposal Workshop
Webinar provides help with early-stage project
funding application

On Thursday, April 5, from 12:00pm-1:00pm, FFMI will host a webinar that walks through the Mi-Kickstart early-stage funding award proposal and offers guidance and tips for a successful submission. This webinar will be focused on a health IT application.

Participants will gain valuable insight, including:
  • How to write a successful proposal with step-by-step instructions from the FFMI team
  • The opportunity to view a funded proposal to analyze successful strategies
  • The chance to ask specific questions directly to the FFMI team of commercialization pathway experts
  • Individual project-specific coaching, including the opportunity to follow up directly for additional guidance
Mi-Kickstart Proposal Workshop Webinar
Thursday, April 5
12:00pm-1:00pm

Mi-Kickstart Awards are given quarterly, with proposals due November 1, February 1, May 1, and August 1 of each year. 

Questions? Please contact Biomedical Innovation Specialist, Michelle Larkin, or Biomedical Innovation Specialist, Sara Johnson.
event
Event Highlights the Importance of Reimbursement Planning and Execution 

On Friday, March 9, FFMI welcomed Susan Rowinski, M.S.E., President and Founder, Rowinski Group LLC, as she presented "Reimbursement Considerations for Successful Medical Technology Startups and Licensing Transfers," a lecture on reimbursement planning and execution as part of the developing and planning for licensing or starting a medical technology company. 

Attendees got insight into reimbursement for technology transfer and startup success, common reimbursement planning mistakes and how to
avoid them, and the benefits of beginning reimbursement planning and execution during
the R & D phase.
poe
Path of Excellence in Innovation & Entrepreneurship Welcomes New Students
New cohort, updated curriculum

The Path of Excellence in Innovation & Entrepreneurship (PoE) is excited to welcome 12 new first-year medical students from a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds into the path. This latest cohort marks the start of the new Innovation & Entrepreneurship curriculum formulated to giving students innovation and entrepreneurship fundamentals earlier in their training, with the goal of connecting them sooner to experiences that could build their career. 

Questions? Contact PoE/FFMI Education Coordinator, Margarita Hernandez.
road
On the Road with FFMI 

Connie Chang, M.B.A., FFMI Managing Director, recently moderated "Experiencing the Clinical Trials Transformation," an informational session where Dr. Peter Higgins, Ambulatory and Chronic Disease Medical Director, and members of his study team, discussed the team's success in migrating their trial to the ACD Clinical Trials Support Unit. 

Brad Martin, Ph.D., MTRAC for Life Sciences Sr. Director of Commercialization Programs, was part of a panel at "The Autonomous Patient: Entrepreneurs Driving Health Care II," event put on by Butzel Long, a leading business law firm. The panel discussed how health care is changing in delivery and payment, as well as technology.  
teams
Latest News from Project Teams Who Received FFMI Funding, Training, and Support 

Company Receives Funding from Monroe-Brown Seed Fund 
The Board of Regents approved $150K+ in funding from the Monroe-Brown Seed Fund for MDI Therapeutics (formerly Medigenix). MDI Therapeutics, led by Dan Lawrence, Ph.D., has developed a novel PAI-1 inhibitor for addressing systemic scleroderma and IPF. MDI Therapeutics also previously received Mi-TRAC funding.

Company Receives Additional Monroe-Brown
Seed 
Fund Funding
EVOQ Therapeutics received a second round of funding for $150K, additional to the $150K invested last year. EVOQ Therapeutics also previously received Mi-TRAC funding.

Two Mi-TRAC Funded Projects Chosen to Participate in Science2Startup Symposium
The MDI Therapeutics fibrosis project led by Dan Lawrence, Ph.D., along with a multiple myeloma project led by Zaneta Nikolovska-Coleska, M.S., Ph.D., have been selected to be part of the Science2Startup Symposium. This invitation-only event features the most innovative startup ideas in therapeutics from top research institutions around the world. Both projects have previously received Mi-TRAC funding, and MDI Therapeutics recently received Monroe-Brown Seed Fund funding.

Faculty Member Working with FFMI Business Development Has
Research Published
Ling Qi, Ph.D., recently had his research on a particular mutation of Pro-opiomelanocortin and the role it plays in genetic obesity published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Dr. Qi is involved with Rhythm Pharmaceuticals in research collaboration exploration facilitated by the FFMI Business Development team. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals spotlighted Dr. Qi's article, as well. 

Path of Excellence in Innovation & Entrepreneurship Student Wins
Funding Competition
Stephen Hobson, a first-year medical student and member of the Path of Excellence in Innovation & Entrepreneurship, recently received $7,500 in funding from the Innovation in Action Challenge. Hobson is working on a project called "The First Five: Emergency Response for Everyone," a program designed to train everyday people on how to save a life in the first five minutes of a medical emergency.
cbr
Check Out New Space at Central Biorepository Open House!

Late last year, the Central Biorepository relocated and transferred more than 350,000 biospecimens to a new freezer facility and laboratory in building 60 of the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC)-- and next month, we are excited to show off the space!

Join us for a special Open House on Tuesday, March 20 that will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the physical home of
the UMMS Central Biorepository, now located in the heart
of the NCRC.

This new area conjoins the freezer storage and lab space and has many new features:     

  • More centrally located to loading dock and DNA Sequencing Core Facility
  • Dedicated kit preparation area
  • Laboratory custom-designed for efficiency
  • Enhanced safety features, including a gowning area and oxygen monitoring throughout the facility

Refreshments will be served and all guests will be registered to win a special Detroit Tigers baseball gift basket! CLICK HERE to register.

news
In Other News

Sling Health (formerly Idea Labs) is a student-run non-profit organization that provides resources, training, and mentorship to teams of students tackling clinical problems by developing innovative solutions. O n March 21, from 6:30pm-9:00pm in the Biomedical Science Research Building, Sling Health will hold their annual Demo Day where students will showcase their innovations. There will be a pitch competition and poster session, as well as dinner, raffles, and giveaways. CLICK HERE to RSVP.

CNN's medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, M.D., and his wife, Rebecca, will team up with U-M to host the Gupta Family Hackathon for Health Communication on March 23-25. The event centers around innovation and is aimed at generating new ideas and tools to improve health communication. It will include more than 200 students and professionals from the worlds of health, digital technology, design, communication, and information science. CLICK HERE to learn more and apply.
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Office of Research
Fast Forward Medical Innovation is part of the Office of Research, where our mission is to foster an environment of innovation and efficiency that serves the U-M Medical School community and supports biomedical science from insight to impact.