FFMI recently kicked off the latest  Early Tech Development Course, with 20 teams participating in this session. The 4-week course is designed to equip biomedical faculty and researchers at U-M with the knowledge and tools to navigate the initial process of innovation and commercialization. 

 

In addition, FFMI can partner you with medical students who are part of the  Innovation & Entrepreneurship Path of Excellence and eager to assist in project development and expand their exposure to up-and-coming innovations. This session's cohort includes 23 medical students from the Path of Excellence. 

"I've really enjoyed participating in the Early Tech Development Course," says Taylor Novice, Medical Student. "The course is a great way to make valuable contacts in the field, as well as get hands-on experience and valuable exposure to a number of aspects of this career choice. Overall, I feel that it's an excellent introduction to exploring and understanding how innovation and entrepreneurship play a role in health care." 

During the ETD course, teams work with experienced mentors to share and review projects, provide constructive feedback, and offer peer support.  Using a technique called Customer Discovery, teams conduct experiments and collect evidence on their technology's clinical utility, key partners, intellectual property, regulatory pathways, revenue model, and more.

For more information, contact   Jon Servoss or visit our  website.

On Thursday, October 6, FFMI wrapped up the Surgery Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Program with a "Shark Tank" event at the Surgery Ground Rounds. Teams presented their final project output to a panel of experts for feedback. 

Congratulations to Michael Sabel, M.D. for winning first place with his  Breast Cancer Ally project - a mobile app for improved cancer management.

The Surgery Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Program is a 9-month program that provides surgical faculty with practical experience using individual projects and department-sponsored initiatives as platforms to teach the processes of innovation and early-stage commercialization. 

"The inaugural Surgery Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Program (SIEDP) was a huge success," says Mark Cohen, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology, Director of Endocrine Surgery Research, Director of the Medical School Pathway of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. "The teams gained valuable hands-on experience and learned real-life strategies and tactics to further advance their projects towards commercialization. We look forward to continuing to expand the reach of this program to benefit research and commercialization at the University of Michigan."

"We're thrilled with the outcome of the SIEDP," says Kevin Ward., M.D., Executive Director, Fast Forward Medical Innovation. "We believe that one of the major products produced by FFMI is the next generation of innovators. That's as important as the innovation itself." 

Contact  Jon Servoss, FFMI Commercialization Program Manager, for more information on FFMI's Education and Commercialization Education offerings.

Applications will be accepted from November 7, 2016 - January 6, 2017

Information sessions are occurring around the region to prep for the MedHealth Summit and will be held at the following locations and dates: University of Windsor - Friday, October 28 University of Michigan - Tuesday, November 1 Oakland University, INC - Wednesday, November 2

The Coulter Program funds collaborative translational research projects between Engineering and Clinical faculty co-investigators. The goal of the program is to accelerate development and commercialization of new medical devices, diagnostics, and other biomedical products that address unmet clinical needs and lead to improvements in healthcare. Coulter funding (typically $100,000 range for 1 year) does not require a departmental funding match or cost-sharing of salaries.

 

Coulter Program 2017 Call for Proposals Proposal Submission Begins: Tuesday, November 1 Proposal Deadline:  Friday, February 3, 2017

Distinctive aspects of the Coulter Program include business assessment work that dovetails with technical milestones for each project. Specific benefits to each project include:

* New product planning support

* Business development support

* Market research

* Regulatory guidance

* Follow-on funding guidance

* Mentorship from the Oversight Committee

Fearon, the Emanuel N. Maisel Professor of Oncology, is a nationally-recognized investigator in cancer genetics. His research has led to a greater understanding of gene defects that cause colon and rectal cancer to develop and spread.

"Our Cancer Center has a history of success with many exciting recent and ongoing initiatives," says Dr. Fearon. "I am honored to have the opportunity to continue moving us forward."

In addition to Dr. Fearon's appointment, four new leaders were also named last month.

• Pavan Reddy, M.D., Deputy Director
• Alnawaz Rehemtulla, Ph.D., Associate Director for Shared Resources
• Anne Schott, M.D., Associate Director for Clinical Research
• Stephen J. Weiss, M.D., Associate Director for Basic Science Research