Government - University - Private Partnerships & 
Grand Challenges: Maximizing Impact in the 21st Century

Thursday, November 7th, 2019

11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Light Lunch/Appetizers Provided
Seminar will begin promptly at 11:30 am -
please arrive early to get food and your seat.

Networking opportunities following the seminar (12:30 pm - 1:00 pm)

Register Now! 

Overview of Seminar

Programmatic approaches to translational research have been increasingly successful in attracting funding and providing early delivery of products to market. Whether these large collaborative efforts are in the guise of a Grand Challenge, a government-funded development effort, or a large research network, such efforts create impact by leveraging an established framework for driving change. TMI and CSU Ventures are collaborating to bring two key opinion leaders to the CSU campus, each of whom has a proven record in the realm of research development. Dr. Kevin Ward, Director of the Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care (MCIRCC) at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Kenneth Bertram, former Principal Assistant for Acquisition for the US Army Medical and Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA) are both experienced in traditional research approaches as well as navigating issues related to integration of commercialization strategies, intellectual property, regulatory challenges, and market forces. Both have demonstrated success working with start-ups, industry partners, and government funding agencies to develop key life-saving innovations. 

Speakers

 

   Dr. Kenneth Bertram, MD, PhD
   
   Clinical Product Development Officer, Wake Forest
   Institute for Regenerative Medicine, 
   Formerly the Principal Assistant for Acquisition, US 
   Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

 

 

Dr. Kenneth A. Bertram is the Clinical Product Development Officer for the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. He leads a team conducting early clinical trials using human stem cells to regulate (turn-down) the body’s harmful immune response in multiple diseases. Dr. Bertram recently retired (June 2018) as the Principal Assistant for Acquisition for the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), Ft. Detrick, Maryland, and as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He was responsible for the advanced development and acquisition of medical products (drugs, vaccines, and devices) for the US Army. In addition, Dr.Bertram served as The Surgeon General’s Sponsor’s Representative to the US Food and Drug Administration and as the US Army’s Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) for medical products and therefore was responsible for the life-cycle management of fielded medical products (research, development, acquisition, and sustainment). Dr. Bertram has been awarded the highest recognition for Army civilians, the Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service by the Secretary of the Army for his contributions to the Warfighter.

Dr. Bertram previously served in the US Army, retiring as a Colonel, Medical Corps, after 24 years of Active Duty. Colonel Bertram's assignments included: Commander, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; Chief of Staff, USAMRMC; Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (USAMRMC); and Chief, Hematology/Medical Oncology Service at Madigan Army Medical Center. Colonel Bertram’s military honors include two Legion of Merit awards, the Army’s The Surgeon General’s “A” Proficiency Designator in Hematology/Oncology, and the Order of Military Medical Merit.

Dr. Kevin Ward, MD

Professor, Emergency Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
Executive Director, Michigan Center for Integrative Research
in Critical Care (MCIRCC) 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ward’s research interests span the field of critical illness and injury ranging from combat casualty care to the intensive care unit. His approach is to develop and leverage broad platform technologies capable of use throughout all echelons of care of the critically ill and injured as well as in all age groups.  Dr. Ward’s work has been funded by the NIH, Department of Defense, NSF, and industry.   He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

Dr. Ward’s passion is in creating programs which encourage true integration across the disciplines of medicine, engineering, data sciences, and entrepreneurship that accelerate discovery to true patient impact.  In addition to founding MCIRCC, he led the design and implementation of Michigan Medicine’s Fast Forward Medical Innovation (FFMI) program and served as its inaugural Executive Director from 2013-2018.  He is a serial innovator and entrepreneur in the field of emergency and critical care medicine and the recipient of Innovation and Commercialization awards from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Michigan Medical School, and the Department of Defense. 

In collaboration with the U.S. Army and its Joint Special Operations Training Medical Center, Dr. Ward developed and medically directed special training programs, which have been responsible for providing clinical training to over 1000 Special Operation Combat Medics.  For this work, Dr. Ward was awarded a Certificate for Patriotic Civilian Service by the Department of the Army and the Joint Special Operations Training Center.  Severing on numerous editorial and review boards in the field of resuscitation, emergency and critical care medicine, Dr. Ward also serves on the executive committee for the Trauma Hemostasis and Oxygenation Research (THOR).