Rogel Cancer Center Innovation Program
Fast Forward Medical Innovation
We offer a groundbreaking innovation program in collaboration with the renowned Rogel Cancer Center.
The Rogel Cancer Center Innovation Program is an educational initiative designed to help faculty, clinicians, and research scientists develop novel therapeutics and successfully build a business case for their research to secure commercialization resources, including non-traditional funding.
The program consists of a webinar series featuring case study lectures from experts in the field, as well as a project-based course. The course will conclude with a finale pitch event in which project teams will compete for project funding.
The Rogel Cancer Center Innovation Program is a collaborative initiative with leadership and support from Innovation Partnerships and Michigan Drug Discovery.
Fast Forward Medical Innovation offers a comprehensive collection of educational programs and training tailored for busy faculty, students, clinicians, and researchers across the University of Michigan, and across the state, region, and nation.
Webinar Series & Project-Based Course
Webinar Series
Lecture 1: Intellectual Property: How Do You Protect It and Enhance It?
Wednesday, July 15
1:00 pm (EDT)
Speakers:
Tiefei Dong, PhD, MBA, Director of Therapeutics Licensing and Research Partnerships
David Casimir, JD, PhD, Attorney and Founding Shareholder at Casimir Jones, S.C.
Lecture 2: Early-Stage Business Case Development: Identifying Your Value Proposition and Testing Assumptions
Wednesday, July 22
1:00 pm
Speaker:
David Olson, PhD, Mentor-in-Residence at Innovation Partnerships
Lecture 3: From Discovery to Development: Reducing Risk After Identifying a Lead Compound
Thursday, September 3
1:00 pm
Speaker:
Duxin Sun, PhD, Assoc. Dean for Research and Professor of Pharmacy
Lecture 4: U-M Resources for Therapeutic Innovations
Tuesday, September 8
1:00 pm
Speakers:
Peter Toogood, PhD – Research Associate Professor (Medicinal Chemistry) and Director of Michigan Drug Discovery (MDD)
John Seamans, MSE – Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund Manager
Dave Repp, MS, MBA – Director of Ventures and Managing Director of the Accelerate Blue Fund, Innovation Partnerships
Meghan Cuddihy, PhD – Commercialization Program Director, MTRAC Life Sciences, Innovation Partnerships
Seohee You, PhD – Great Lakes Discovery Scientific Collaboration Director
Project-based Course
More information on the project-based course coming soon.
2025 Lecture Series Archive
Advancing Drug Discovery with Specialized Preclinical Services
Director, Protein Sciences & Structural Biology
Cayman Chemical Company
Cayman offers a diverse suite of specialized preclinical services, including structural biology, bioanalysis, custom assay development, medicinal chemistry, and GMP manufacturing. Their targeted and flexible approach empowers collaborators to tackle critical research questions, from basic research to drug discovery and development. This presentation will highlight specific examples of these projects.
Overcoming Cancer Drug Limitations
Associate Dean for Research, College of Pharmacy
Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Professor of Pharmacy
Professor of Pharmaceutical Studies, College of Pharmacy
Cancer drug development suffers from a 95% failure rate over the past 40 years. Additionally, only 30% of newly approved cancer drugs meaningfully extend patients’ survival. This presentation will analyze reasons and propose possible solutions to overcome these challenges.
From Academic Drug Discovery to Start-Up: The Peaks and Valleys of First-in-Class Science
Research Professor, Radiology
Research Professor, Pharmacology
Learn from Dr. Judy Leopold as she discusses her experience developing first-in-class cancer drug candidates throughout her career. Dr. Leopold’s work has taken her from big pharma to academia and biotech.
2024 Webinar Series Archive
Trends in Oncology Therapeutic Discovery & Development (WATCH LECTURE)
This lecture provides an overview of current trends in oncology therapeutic discovery and development. By the end of the series, you’ll be able to:
- Outline the key stages of the oncology therapeutic discovery process
- Identify key oncology therapeutic discovery decision criteria
- Describe the importance of identifying a good oncology target
- Describe how to identify a good target
Assessing the Commercial Potential of Oncology Therapeutics (WATCH LECTURE)
The second lecture in the series focuses on key business and commercial topics in oncology therapeutics. By the end of the lecture, you’ll be able to:
-Explain the importance of identifying unmet clinical need
-Define Target Product Profile (TPP)
-Name the key factors and considerations that comprise a TPP
-Identify the current standard of care and the market opportunity that exists within any gaps in care
-Compare and contrast the competitive advantage and the current standard of care
-Determine which commercial pathway best fits a given oncology therapeutic
Pre-Clinical Discovery Activities for Advancing Oncology Targets & Therapeutics (WATCH LECTURE)
In the third lecture, we’ll begin discussing pre-clinical discovery activities. By the end of this lecture, you’ll be able to:
- Explain how a target is validated pre-clinically
- Name the key components of the assay development process
- Name the key features of the selection and optimization process
- Describe the role of in vivo assays in the pre-clinical discovery process
- Explain how to select a candidate compound for further development
Pre-Clinical Oncology Target & Therapeutic Development (WATCH LECTURE)
Lecture 4 will move from pre-clinical discovery to development. By the end of this lecture, you’ll be able to:
- Describe how to initiate and execute dosing studies
- Explain the importance of the following IND application items:
- Animal pharmacology and toxicology
- Pre-clinical data to permit assessment
The Clinical Phase of Oncology Target & Therapeutic Development (WATCH LECTURE)
The lecture series will conclude with a discussion of the clinical phase of oncology target and therapeutic development. By the end of this lecture, you’ll be able to:
- Illustrate how to design a clinical trial and outcomes
- Explain how to select the right patient population for clinical trials
Rogel Cancer Center Innovation Program Leadership
Jeff Kittendorf, PhD
Innovation Partnerships
Bruce Markham, PhD
Innovation Partnerships
Bradley Martin, PhD
Fast Forward Medical Innovation
Mukesh Nyati, PhD
Katherine Schultz, MA
Fast Forward Medical Innovation
Jon Servoss, EdD
Fast Forward Medical Innovation
Peter Toogood, PhD
Director, Michigan Drug Discovery
collaborators
Questions?
Contact Us
Fast Forward Medical Innovation
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, Michigan
