University of Huddersfield/Mid Yorks NHS Trust
UK / Virtual
Dr Leanne Atkin PhD MHSc RGN is a Lecturer Practitioner at University of Huddersfield additionally being Vascular Nurse Consultant at Mid Yorks NHS Trust. She completed her Masters degree in Advanced Nursing Practice 2010 and her PhD in 2017, her research focus was the treatment and management of peripheral arterial disease. Her passions include leg ulcer management, quality agenda, peripheral arterial disease and advanced wound management. She has published over 80 articles related to lower limb ulceration, vascular diseases, wound assessment, and quality of life.
Additionally, she is an active researcher running several studies as Chief and Principal investigator and is actively involved in the ‘Legs Matter’ campaign aiming to raise patient and public awareness of lower limb conditions.
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.
European Wound Management Association
Sebastian Probst is a Full Professor of Tissue Viability and Wound Care at the Geneva School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, the Medical Faculty of the University of Geneva and the University Hospital of Geneva. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Sebastian began his nursing career in Zurich over 20 years ago, and pursued his Master’s in Nursing Science at the University of Basel and attained his Doctorate in Clinical Practice at the University of Guildford in the U.K., and completed his Post-Doctorate at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. He saw that patients with chronic and palliative wounds needed support and guidance to alleviate their wound related symptoms, to prevent recurrences and ultimately to enhance their quality of life.
Sebastian’s research contributes to a person-centered care approach to develop best practice wound care, patient education, social support and self-efficacy in wound patients and their families. Sebastian actively lectures and mentors Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. students. He has collaborative projects in Switzerland and internationally.
Sebastian is President of the European Wound Management Association and a Council Member of Wound DACH. In all associations he has leading roles in projects & document development.
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.
Wound Wise Consulting & Education
Melinda has worked in wound management for more than 25 years in a variety of settings from the Victorian Adult Burns Unit, to community nursing, research and lecturing in wound care at both Monash and Latrobe Universities.
Melinda works in private practice as a Nurse Practitioner in wound management, following her endorsement in 2013. Her work is mainly in aged care, community and in private wound clinics, providing consultancy and education. In 2016, Melinda and two colleagues began Wounds R Us – a collaboration which provides wound management education to clinicians around Melbourne.
Melinda has presented at many state and national conferences and thrives on teaching others about the importance of holistic wound management. Melinda is a past member of the Wounds Australia Education Pillar and committee member of the Wounds Australia national conferences in 2016 & 2018. Melinda is credentialled as an Advanced Wound Practitioner by Wounds Australia.
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
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.
James Cook University
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.
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.
University of Western Australia
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
Austin Health
A/Prof Woodward MB BS MD FRACP is Head of Aged Care Research and the Wound Management Clinic at Austin Health in Melbourne. He is a past President and a Fellow of the Australian Wound Management Association, now Wounds Australia. He is immediate past Chair of the Wounds Australia Research Committee, and remains a member of that Committee. He leads several research trials investigating new therapies and other aspects of management of chronic wounds.
He has published 140 peer reviewed research papers, numerous book chapters and delivered 460 scholarly addresses. For 12 years, to the end of 2016, he was joint editor of Wound Practice and Research, the journal of Wounds Australia. He is past chair of the ‘Geriatric Therapeutics’ section of the editorial board of the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research. He is also a member of the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Reference Committee, which approves drugs and dressings for Australian Veterans, and chairs their Advisory Wound Care Committee which recently released the revised DVA Wound Care manual and on-line wound dressings chart.
On Australia Day 2016 Michael was honoured to receive Membership of the Order of Australia for his work in geriatric medicine and as an author.