Griffith University
Professor James Charles (BPod, MthSci (Pod), PhD) is a very proud Kaurna man for the Adelaide Plains, South Australia. Director of the First Peoples Health Unit, Griffith University. Dr Charles has previously worked at the Deakin University, University of Newcastle, and Charles Sturt University. Prof Charles was one of the first Aboriginal podiatrists in Australia, the first Aboriginal person to receive a Master of Podiatry, and the first Aboriginal Podiatrist to receive a PhD (Aboriginal foot health).
Dr Charles has volunteered his time at many Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, boards, and committees around Australia. James has provided clinical podiatry services to Aboriginal communities all over Australia, in urban, rural and remote places. Dr Charles was Chairperson of Indigenous Allied Health Australia 2009 – 2010, and Chairperson of the Indigenous Allied Health Australia Network 2008. Dr Charles was very proud to be a representative on the national “Close the Gap” committee in 2008-2009.
Dr Charles was very honoured to receive the national NAIDOC “Scholar of the Year” award in 2017 for his teaching, research and work in the Aboriginal community. Dr Charles has also received the prestigious Alumni Accolade Award from the University of South Australia in 2018, and the outstanding Alumni Achiever Award from the University of Newcastle 2019. Prof Charles has received a UNESCO achievement award for scientific education in 2019. Prof Charles has conducted many research projects and published many research papers on Aboriginal health in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters.
Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia
SA Austalia
Allison Cowin is Professor of Regenerative Medicine and Deputy Director of The Future Industries Institute at the University of South Australia. Over the past 25 years her wound research has resulted in over 175 research articles, editorials and book chapters in leading international journals. She is a Fellow of Wounds Australia and has been awarded over $20M in grants including continuous NHMRC funding since 2004 for her work developing antibody technologies for the treatment of wounds. Her research has received special recognition from the NHMRC by inclusion in its ‘10 of the best projects’ publication. She has been awarded five independent fellowships (3 from the NHMRC) won the Women in Innovation: Science award was an SA finalist in the Telstra Women’s Business awards and her research “Novel drug delivery of therapeutic antibodies to wounds” made the finals of the “Australian Innovation Challenge”. Prof Cowin is the Co-Chair of the National AHRA Wound Research Initiative and a member of Wounds Australia National Research Committee. She was the founding President of the Australasian Wound & Tissue Repair Society and is the Editor of Wound Practice and Research. Her spinout company, AbRegen Pty Ltd is developing antibody therapies for tissue repair.
Prof John Golledge is a Professor of Vascular Surgery with a co-joint appointment at James Cook University and Townsville University Hospital. His research interests include peripheral artery disease, diabetes-related foot disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Chairman of the ASEAN Wound Council
Prof. Dr. Harikrishna K.R. Nair, is the Chairman of the ASEAN Wound Council & President of the Malaysian Society of Wound Care Professionals (MSWCP). He holds the position of President Elect, Executive Board, World Union of Wound Healing Societies and Vice President of the Asian Wound Care Association. He is also the Chair of the Commonwealth Wound Care Resource Alliance. Currently, he leads the Wound Care Unit in Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Malaysia as well as The National Advisor for Primary Health Ministry of Health Malaysia.Besides being a prolific speaker & trainer in both local & international arena, he has also published many international wound care related studies, 20 books & is the Editor in Chief of Wounds Asia Journal, Malaysian Journal of Medical Research & the Journal of Wound Care Silk Road Supplement. He is a faculty member of NADI and Chairman DCOM, Professor of The Institute of Health Management, Austria, Chairman of Pressure Injury Prevention Committee, KLH and a member of the National Technical Committee on Wound Care MOH. He is also an Adjunct Professor, Dept of Surgery, IMS, BHU, INDIA, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Lincoln University and The Executive Director of The College of Wound Care Specialists since 2017.He is the Course Director of The Certificate in Clinical Wound Care (CCWC) since 2017 which is the first certification programme started in Malaysia and the PGD in Wound Management under Lincoln University.
Baylor College of Medicine
Professor Najafi is currently serving with the Baylor College of Medicine, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery as a tenured professor and Director of Clinical Research in the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. He is also serving as Co-Director of National Science Foundation Center to Stream HealthCare in Place (C2SHIP), adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX and Adjunct Professor at the Colleges of Engineering and Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Az. He completed his Ph.D. in Bioengineering followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Applied Biomechanics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Tech (Lausanne, Switzerland), and in Neuroscience at Harvard University.
He has a broad background in bioengineering with specific training and expertise in development of novel medical devices, software technologies, and remote patient monitoring technologies. He has published over 200 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals or conference proceeding with more than 12k citations (H-Index=53+), 20+ issued, pending, or provisional patents. He has been principal investigator or a key investigator on over 150 industrial, national and international grants ($130M+). Thanks to his contribution in successful translation of technologies for various clinical applications, he has been awarded as one of the most Influential Health and Medical Leaders by Tucson Local Media in 2014. He is also been included in the Stanford List of Top 100,000 Scientists (top 2%) in the world in the year of 2019 (re. Loannidis et al, PLOS Biology, 2020) and listed amongst the top 1% of scholars worldwide in 2021 by the Expertscape’s PubMed-based algorithms in the area of leg ulcers and diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Lymphoedema Clinical Research Unit (Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer)
Neil is Director of the Lymphoedema Clinical Research Unit (Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer), a committee member of ENCORE, a board member of the Australasian College of Phlebology and SA Health Compression Garment Scheme, a member of the Australasian Lymphoedema Association Research Committee and the Scientific committee of Vasculab.He is Clinical Sciences Editor (Journal of Lymphoedema), Australasian Editor (Lymphatic Research/Biology) and an Editorial Board member of Lymphology and Phlebology. He is patron of the Australian Lipoedema Support Group and the Lymphoedema Association of South Australia.
Neil’s team are currently investigating applied pressure profiles during bandaging, the effect of vibration on legs and a new medication for lymphoedema (LYT-100). He is committed to improving outcomes by ensuring treatment strategies are targeted/ and sequenced and helping clinicians deliver what is optimal and which meet patient functional and personal needs with a holistic multi-disciplinary approach acknowledging the importance/roles of the lymphatics and vascular systems based on good science but acknowledging the individuality of the patient.
Lesley Salem is a descendant of the Wonnarua Nation in NSW. She is currently working in remote Australia with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People as a generalist and chronic disease Nurse Practitioner (NP). Lesley’s nursing is dedicated to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People. She enjoys mentoring and believes strongly in sharing knowledge. Always through her work is a strong dedication to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, those with socioeconomic disadvantage, and her peers.
The Serena Group
USA
Dr. Thomas E. Serena MD FACS FACHM MAPWCA, Founder and Medical Director of The SerenaGroup®, a family of wound, hyperbaric and research companies, is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of The College of William and Mary and Penn State Medical School.
He completed his residency in Surgery at The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and maintains board certification in Surgery.
To date he has opened and operates advanced wound care centers across the United Sates and globally. Dr. Serena has been the lead or Principal investigator in over 100 clinical trials, including diagnostics, antimicrobial dressings, growth factors, topical and parenteral antibiotics and CTP therapy. He founded the first wound healing cooperative research group conducting clinical trials world-wide. In 2011 he developed a diagnostic technique that now bears his name (The Serena Technique©). He is one of the world’s leading experts in infection diagnostics. He holds numerous patents on wound care devices and dressings.
He is recognized internationally as an expert in the field of wound healing: He has more than 250 published papers and has given more than 2000 invited lectures throughout the world. He has published medical textbooks and authored numerous book chapters. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Wound Healing Society and served two terms on the board of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) and is now the immediate Past-President. He has also been Vice-President of the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine and President of the American Professional Wound Care Association. Presently, he is Vice-President of the International Surgical Wound Complication Advisory Board (ISWCAP).
Dr. Serena has done extensive medical relief work with Health Volunteers Overseas and served as chairman of the AAWC Global Volunteers/HVO Steering Committee until 2016. Outside of wound healing, he consulted for the government of Rwanda on AIDS prevention research.
University of Western Australia
WA
Winthrop Professor Fiona Wood University of Western Australia is a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon specialising in the field of burn care, trauma and scar reconstruction. As Director of the WA Burns Service of Western Australia since 1991 she is consultant surgeon at both the South Metropolitan Heath Service, Fiona Stanley Hospital and the Child and Adolescent Health Service, Perth Children’s Hospital. As director of burns injury research unit she leads an interdisciplinary team with broad collaboration focused on translation to improve clinical outcomes. She sits on the national science and technology council and was Australian of the year in 2005