March 22, 2024

Ferris State, BAMF Health partner to provide students with in-demand skills, support the company’s trailblazing work

Ferris State University is partnering with BAMF Health, a world leader in molecular imaging and theranostics headquartered in Grand Rapids, to provide students with in-demand skills in a rapidly changing field and support the company’s trailblazing work.

BAMF, which stands for Bold Advanced Medical Future, started in 2018 and uses the most advanced AI-enabled technology to detect and treat cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, heart disease, and more.
Leaders from BAMF Health and Ferris State on Friday signed an agreement pledging to explore collaboration in a variety of areas to grow and enhance Michigan’s workforce. The goal is to support the growing theranostics field in the state by providing in-demand skills for Ferris State students and continuing education opportunities for BAMF Health employees at all levels.

This collaboration has strong support from several Michigan state legislators including House Speaker Joe Tate. Speaker Tate, along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, are committed to growing Michigan’s knowledge economy through public-private partnerships such as this. Speaker Tate was on hand for the signing ceremony at Ferris State’s David L. Eisler Center.

The Ferris State – BAMF Health partnership includes creating certification programs for Quality Control/Assurance and Regulatory Affairs, and Nuclear Medicine Technologists. Areas of focus also include creating student experiences and research opportunities and looking at ways to improve patient experience and program thinking.

Ferris State President Bill Pink said there is already a strong connection between the two, as many Ferris State and Kendall College for Art and Design of Ferris State University alumni play key roles on the BAMF Health team.

“Ferris State, throughout its nearly 140-year history, has partnered with leaders in many fields to help our students gain valuable, in-demand skills and grow a talented workforce,” Ferris State President Bill Pink said. “We are especially proud to work with BAMF Health, an innovative organization that is committed to finding new ways to tackle some of society’s most pressing healthcare challenges. Our students will have unimaginable opportunities to be a part of impactful work, and we can help BAMF Health employees gain new skills to help them advance in their careers.”

BAMF Health is revolutionizing precision medicine and theranostics by leveraging the most advanced imaging technology to detect and treat cancer and other devastating diseases. The company is also a leading clinical trials site for testing new diagnostic tools and therapies developed by radiopharmaceutical companies around the world.

“BAMF Health has ushered in a new frontier of medicine and is pushing the limits of what’s possible,” said BAMF Health CEO Dr. Anthony Chang. “We need new talent with advanced skillsets to make precision medicine accessible and affordable for all. Strategic partnerships with academic centers like Ferris State help us to curate this next generation of talent who will do what we never thought possible.”

The company is planning to work with Ferris State’s College of Pharmacy and other programs to train current employees as well as work with Ferris State students looking to enter the field.

“This partnership connects so many dots for our university’s numerous stakeholders,” Provost Bobby Fleischman said. “From our alumni working at BAMF Health, to our students and faculty who will work together at the company’s cutting-edge facility, this represents one of our strategic pillars—and, that is, innovation. Taken together with our applied learning approach to instruction, it distinguishes Ferris graduates from others as they graduate to the tech-focused workforce in West Michigan and throughout the state”.

Kasey Thompson, Ferris State’s special assistant to the president for innovation and entrepreneurship, said the collaboration with BAMF is a perfect example of how the university can work with partners in new ways, building a talented workforce here in Michigan.  

“It’s exciting to think about the impactful work that will transpire through this collaboration,” said Dr. Kasey Thompson, an associate professor and special assistant to the president for innovation and entrepreneurship. “Bringing together the expertise of Ferris State faculty and the innovative team at BAMF will create opportunities that we are still imagining.”

About BAMF Health

BAMF Health is the world’s first vertically integrated platform for intelligence-based precision medicine. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., BAMF Health employs the most advanced AI-enabled theranostic imaging technology to detect and treat cancer and other diseases and conduct advanced clinical trials. Our overriding mission is to empower patients to become people again. With a team of data scientists, researchers, software engineers, and clinicians —all working in lockstep—we’re making good on it. To learn more about BAMF Health, visit www.bamfhealth.com.

About Ferris State University

Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1884 by Woodbridge N. Ferris with a mission of providing a quality education to everyone in Michigan. With more than 250 associate, bachelor's, master's, doctorate, and certificate programs in high-demand fields, including AI, criminal justice, optometry, and pharmacy, Ferris State provides alumni with the dynamic skillset to power Michigan's future across every industry. An additional 2,200 students take advantage of Ferris State's local hubs across Michigan, robust online programs, and the University's Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Mich.