Burn injury research unit
The outcome must be worth the pain of survival
The burn injury research unit is focused on translational and basic research into burn injury, wound repair, scarring, fibrosis and long-term outcomes for paediatric and adult burn patients. The unit is based at UWA’s Perth campus, and works closely with the Burns Service of WA at Fiona Stanley Hospital and the Perth Children’s Hospital to integrate research and clinical practice.
We have a strong multidisciplinary team involved in research including scientists, clinicians and allied health specialists, all working together to better understand the impact of burn injury and how we can improve patient outcomes. This includes focusing on improving scar appearance and function, but also psychological consequences, long-term health impacts and the life trajectory of burn patients. We collaborate across disciplines with longstanding contributions from bioengineering, nanochemistry and pharmaceutical collaborators to address challenges in acute care and long-term health.
Current projects include the development of new scaffolds and cell-based therapies for burn injury repair; the development of a novel therapeutic to target collagen metabolism in scar matrix; and understanding the link between innervation and fibrosis.
We also have projects focused in allied health and psychology based at Fiona Stanley Hospital and/or Perth Children’s Hospital.
In 2017, the Total Care Burn Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital admitted 214 individual patients with acute burn injury, representing 342 admissions. There were 5021 outpatient visits and 2445 telehealth clinic reviews for burn injuries.
In Australia there are 6000+ hospital admissions and 90 in-hospital burn related deaths per year
People with burns to even 80% of their body now routinely survive their injury
Collaboration
Professor Fiona Wood is involved in collaborative research projects focused on the multidisciplinary clinical and scientific approach to burn injury treatment.
To learn more about how you can collaborate with Professor Fiona Wood, or about PhD opportunities within this field of research, visit our Postgraduate Research page.
