Invited Speakers

Prof. Allison Cowin is head of the Wound Healing Laboratory at the WCHRI and is Prof of Tissue Repair at the University of Adelaide. Her team of 12 staff and students are developing new antibody-based therapies for the treatment of chronic wounds and burn injuries. She is currently an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and her research has received special recognition from the NHMRC by inclusion in the 2008 '10 of the best projects' publication and an invitation to describe her research in a podcast for the NHMRC website. In 2009 she was awarded the MS McLeod Medal for Research Excellence. Prof Cowin is a Project leader in the Wound Management Innovation CRC. She is also founder and inaugural President of the Australasian Wound & Tissue Repair Society and a member of the AWMA national committee. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal "Wound Repair and Regeneration" and is joint editor of the journal Wound Practice and Research. Prof Cowin is founding CEO of AbRegen Pty Ltd a company developing new antibody based therapies for treating wounds.

Associate Professor Bennett is a senior specialist in Anaesthesia and Hyperbaric Medicine at Prince of Wales Hospital and a Conjoint Associate Professor in the faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1979 and spent his early post-graduate training at the Prince Henry/Prince of Wales Hospitals before undertaking training in Anaesthesia in the UK. He returned to Sydney in 1990 as a retrieval specialist on the Lifesaver Helicopter and here developed an interest in both diving and hyperbaric medicine. He was appointed director of the Department of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine at Prince Henry Hospital in 1994 and supervised the move of the state hyperbaric service to POWH in 1995. This service grew under his direction from a mainly diving service treating one to two patients per day to a fully fledged multi-disciplinary department treating up to 20 patients per day and a total of over 5,000 therapeutic compressions each year. The majority of patients are those suffering from radiation tissue injury and hypoxic, poorly healing wounds.

A/Prof. Bennett also has a strong interest in clinical epidemiology and is an experienced clinician and researcher in both Anaesthesia and Diving/Hyperbaric Medicine. He has published widely on the evidence–basis of hyperbaric medicine and is a strong advocate of evidence-based practice. His doctoral thesis included the work on the place of oxygen therapy in both migraine and cluster headache. In 2002 he was the recipient of the Behnke Award for outstanding scientific achievement from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society in Boston, Mass.

A/Prof. Bennett is an executive member of the Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists SIG in the area and the current President of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society.

Professor Donald G. MacLellan, BSc., MD., MBA., FRACS, was born in Scotland and obtained his science and medical degrees in Glasgow University. He was awarded the Surgical Fellowship in 1984 and an MD through the University of Melbourne in 1985

In 1991, he was appointed to his first Chair of Surgery, University of Melbourne based at the Repatriation Hospital.  He then moved to Canberra as the Inaugural Professor of Surgery, University of Sydney in 1996.  He embarked on an MBA through Monash University and graduated in 2002.  Currently, Prof. MacLellan is in the NSW Health Department and has responsibility as the State wide Program Director of Surgery.

From the time of his post graduate training, Prof MacLellan has been active in wound education and research and has widely published and presented on wound related topics, both nationally and internationally.  For a number of years, he has participated in a monthly clinical teleconference with practicing Wound Specialists Nurse Practitioners across Australia. Prof MacLellan is currently a Trustee of the Australian Wound Management Research Foundation and is a Life Member of the Wound Care Association of NSW and the Australian Wound Management Association.

I am a registered nurse, from Dublin, Ireland, currently employed as a lecturer at the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. I lecture in wound healing & tissue repair and research methodology.

I received a post graduate diploma with distinction, in wound healing & tissue repair from the University of Wales College Of Medicine in 1998 and an MSc in wound healing & tissue repair in 2001 from the same university. In 2002 I received a Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, RCSI. In October 2009 I completed my PhD studies, funded by a clinical fellowship from the Health Research Board of Ireland, exploring repositioning for the prevention of pressure ulcers in older adults residing in long term care settings.

I am actively involved in research in wound management and have undertaken a number of systematic reviews with the Cochrane wounds group and the Cochrane renal group, further, I have published over 75 articles and book chapters and have researched in many aspects of wound management which have been presented at local, national and international meetings.

I was president of the European Wound Management Association 2009-2011. Currently, I am Immediate Past President; I also chair the education committee and am a member of the scientific committee, the patient outcome group and chair the Cooperating Societies Board.

I am a Board member of the World Alliance of Wound and Lymphoedema Care and also a member of EUCOMED advanced wound care group.

Kate is an occupational therapist who has been working with paediatric burn injuries over the last 6 years. She completed her PhD earlier this year and her presentation is based on her doctorate. Pain and non-pharmacological approaches to pain management has been a clinical interest area of Kate's due to the area being under recognised, under researched and under resourced but plays such a major role in the recovery of the children we see. Kate has published particularly in the area pain and technology to ensure barriers to appropriate pain protocols are minimised, enhancing uptake.

Dr Kerry Reid Searl is an Associate Professor at CQUniversity and Assistant Dean of Community Engagement in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Since completing her nursing and midwifery education, Kerry has gained a Bachelor of Health Science, a Masters of Clinical Education and her PhD. Kerry has had extensive nursing experience in the Torres Strait as well as regional Queensland and currently still practices in the area of paediatrics. She has been involved in undergraduate nursing education for the past 20 years . Kerry has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards including the CQUniversity Vice Chancellors Teaching Award in 2008 and 2010, a Faculty of Science Engineering and Health teaching award in 2008 and 2010, an Australian Learning and Teaching Citation for her outstanding contribution to student learning in 2008 and was named Pearson/Australian Nurse Teacher Society- Nurse Teacher of the Year in 2009. Most recently she has become known nationally and internationally for her pioneering work in creating an innovative simulation strategy termed MASK-ED (KRS Simulation). Kerry is also well published in international journals for her work around medication safety and has been the principal author, as well co author, of several nursing text books which have been sold nationally and internationally.

John M Macdonald, MD, FACS, is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Notre Dame and his Medical Degree at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine. Internship served at Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami. Military duty as Captain in the United States Air Force. Residency in general and thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Fellowship in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery as Senior Registrar, St Bartholomew`s Hospital, London England.

Dr Macdonald is Board Certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery. From 1971 until 1999, he practiced thoracic and vascular surgery in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Over the past 20 years, Dr Macdonald has been extensively involved in the clinical and research aspects of wound care and lymphedema. He has lectured extensively both in North America and internationally. Dr Macdonald has authored numerous articles and text chapters relating to both lymphedema and wound related lymph stasis. He is the editor of the recently published, WHO White Paper--"Wound and Lymphoedema Management" In 2002 he was appointed to the faculty of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.

Dr Macdonald is currently the medical director for the University of Miami Lymphedema Clinic at Jackson Memorial Hospital and attending in the Department of Dermatology wound clinic located in the University of Miami Hospital. He is the Past President of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC). Dr Macdonald is the Secretariat for the--World Alliance for Wound and Lymphedema Care, (WAWLC) based in Geneva, Switzerland.

In the first two months post earthquake, January 12, 2010, Dr Macdonald was the Medical Director for the Wound Care program in the University of Miami , Project Medishare, Haitian Relief Hospital in Port-au-Prince.

In 2011 he was invited to take on this role again and now co-ordinates these services in Haiti for a minimum of one week per month.

Neil is a Professor in Lymphology in the Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Flinders University and Director of the Lymphoedema Assessment Unit. Flinders Surgical Oncology.

He is one of the coordinators of the Graduate Entry Medical Program and runs a specialist elective in Lymphatics in Health and Disease. All students undertake a research project. In 2011, 8 of the 25 have been accepted to present their work in Sweden at the 23rd International Society of Lymphology Meeting

Neil is an executive board member of the International Society of lymphology and was President of the 22nd International congress of Lymphology. Neil is Board Member of the World Alliance for Wound and Lymphoedema Care and the Internationale Union de Phlebology, as well as the International, American and Australian Lymphoedema Frameworks.

He is Australasian Editor of USA based Lymphatic Research and Biology, editorial board member of the USA based journal "Lymphology", clinical sciences editor of the UK based "Journal of Lymphoedema", and editorial board member of the USA based "Phlebology" journal and the "US Chinese Journal of Oncology and Lymphology".

Neil has an Emerities fellowship with the Australasian College of Phlebology a gold medal for excellence in the advancement of science in the field of lymphology, an award from the International Lymphoedema Framework for excellence and leadership in clinical research and from the American Society of Lymphology (2007) for his lymphatic research and for his dedication to advance evidence based medicine in Lymphology.

Neil is strongly committed to improving education and awareness of lymphoedemas in patients and practitioners, through their early detection and is leader of a team (School of Medicine and Nursing and Midwifery at Flinders and Adelaide Unis) supported by Lion's International involved with an out reach screening for lymphoedemas.

Neil's research occurs mainly in the form of clinical trials, with the majority examining the ways of providing targeted treatment for lymphoedema that can be performed by health professionals and patients (partners/carers).

Neil has a strong interest in bringing evidence and objectivity into the assessment, and targeting of treatment on lymphoedemas and in association with members of the Biomedical Engineering group at FMC has pioneered the development of tonometry/indurometry aimed at providing cheap and objective measures of the status of lymphoedema.

Professor Leaper qualified from Leeds Medical School in 1970 MB ChB (with honours) and trained in general surgery in Leeds, Scarborough, King's College and Westminster Hospitals in London with research periods as a Cancer Research Campaign Fellow and Medical Research Council Fellow. He has the Fellowship in Surgery of the Royal Colleges of Edinburgh, England and Glasgow; by thesis the MD and ChM; and the Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons. He was Senior Lecturer in Surgery/Consultant surgeon at the University of Bristol (1981-1995), Professor of Surgery at the University of Hong Kong (1988-1990) and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1995-2004), and now Emeritus Professor, with Visiting Chair status at Cardiff University and Imperial College, London.

Professor Leaper's research interests include surgical infection and sepsis, wound healing, breast and colorectal cancer, computer-aided diagnosis and education and training. He has been an editor/reviewer for many journals. He is a past president of the Surgical Infection Society of Europe, the European Wound Management Association, Hunterian Professor and a Zachary Cope lecturer. He has published over 10 books, 50 chapters and 300 original research and review papers (over 150 on Medline).

Professor Leaper is a past member of the Court of Examiners and has examined for the Intercollegiate Fellowship and serves as an external examiner for other undergraduate and postgraduate examinations (senior examiner Imperial College). He was an instigator of the Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient course (CCrISP). He is a past programme director (Northern Deanery) and served on the Specialist Advisory Board in general surgery. He was Chair of the NICE guideline on SSI, is a member of the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection committee and Fellow of the Linnaean Society.

Nick Santamaria is the Professor of Nursing Research, Translational Research at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

He has a long history of research in wound care and developed the Advanced Medical Wound Imaging System. He was the Chief Investigator of the Kimberly Trial in 2004 and the PRIME Trial in 2005 which led in part to the development of the WoundsWest System in WA and he currently chairs the IT working group for WoundsWest.

Nick has published extensively and has secured more than $11M in research funding and is a member of the consortium that was recently successful in receiving $28M Commonwealth funding to establish a Collaborative Research Centre in Wound Management Innovation.

Professor Helen Edwards, OAM, is Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queensland University of Technology in Queensland, Australia and a member of the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation. Helen is also a Program Leader for the Wound Management Innovation Cooperative Research Centre.

Professor Edwards is internationally recognised for her work in ageing, chronic disease and wound management. Her clinical research is focused on evaluating models of care for people with chronic wounds and self-management of chronic disease. She leads the wound management research team in the Faculty of Health at QUT and works with multi­ disciplinary teams and in partnership with industry. Her team conducted the first clinical trial in Australia to demonstrate the effectiveness of a chronic disease self-management model of care for people with venous leg ulcers. Following this research several 'Leg Clubs' were set up across Australia including a Wound Healing Community Outreach Service at QUT which is in its 3rd year of operation. Over the last two years Helen has been a part of the QUT team which led the development for the Wound Management Innovation Cooperative Research Centre.

Dr. Randall Wolcott is the founder of the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center in Lubbock, TX. The Wound Care Center specializes in biofilm-based wound care offering many disciplines in wound care including debridements, venous procedures, hyperbaric oxygen treatments, IV therapy, and skins grafts. The Wound Care Center offers state of the art technology with molecular diagnostics and state of the art alternative medicine including customized topical wound gels.

Dr. Wolcott is certified as a Wound Specialist by the Academy of Wound Management. He has over 10 years of wound care experience. Dr. Wolcott has presented at many wound care conferences nationwide. He is passionate about healing wounds and educating healthcare professionals on new and exciting information that is relevant to healing wounds.

In 1989, following her undergraduate studies in Dentistry, Sherry started her masters training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and practised for over 5 years in the National Health Service (UK), and privately in Kenya. She undertook doctoral studies in Biomaterials at the University of Sheffield, focussing on osseointegration and healing at the bone-implant interface. Sherry subsequently held lectureships in Medical Materials and Tissue Engineering at the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester for seven years.

In 2004, Sherry embarked on a new career pathway, undertaking an Executive MBA (Sheffield). She focused upon entrepreneurship within the biotechnology sector and put her “learnings” into practice as a founder investor in two university spin-out companies in the healthcare arena. These companies developed novel healthcare and diagnostic tools. The legacy of these companies is apparent today as products now commercially available, worldwide. As Enterprise Manager at the University of Sheffield, 2004-06, Sherry played a significant role in introducing enterprise and entrepreneurship education within Science and Engineering. During this time, her role was to mentor and fund early start-up ventures. Whilst working mainly with high-tech ideas, tangentially, one successful idea that Sherry and her team backed was that of a truffle farm, later featured on “Dragons Den” (BBC TV) and exists as a successful business today.  

In 2007, Sherry took up a position at the Mawson Institute, University of South Australia. She was attracted to the opportunity to develop new commercial ventures around the $10M that was being put into advanced facilities for biomaterials development and cell culture. Her current role focuses on harnessing research, developing new paradigms to enable the rapid translation of research outcomes into patient benefits. In 2011, Sherry also took over as Program Leader for one of the three research programs of the newly formed Wound Management Innovation Cooperative Research Centre. The program, Tools and Therapies, is developing innovative tools, diagnostics and therapeutics for the next generation of advanced wound management solutions.

Professor Kimble is a Paediatric Surgeon & Director of Burns & Trauma in the Combined Department of Paediatric Surgery, Brisbane, Australia. Originally from Scotland he has been working in the field of paediatric burns and trauma for 25 years in five countries. He is Director of Paediatric Trauma on the Queensland Statewide Network, and is a board member of Kidsafe Queensland. He is a committee member of the Queensland Injury Prevention Council, a WHO advisor on Paediatric Burns and medical advisor for St John Ambulance. He is an ex-Australian Vice President of the Australia & New Zealand Burns Association. He founded & heads the Centre for Children’s Burns Research at Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute performing both clinical and basic research in the field of paediatric burns and trauma including prevention. He has published over 110 peer reviewed papers and 11 book chapters, and has been a plenary or keynote speaker at overseas meetings on more than 90 occasions.

Dr Keryln Carville PhD, RN, STN(Cred), MRCNA 
Associate Professor Domiciliary Nursing
Silver Chain Nursing Association and Curtin University, Western Australia.

Keryln has an expansive clinical practice in wound and ostomy management and has a commitment to research and education within these domains. She is a Founding and Life Member of the WA Wound Care Association, an Inaugural Fellow of Australian Wound Management Association (AWMA) in 2006, Chair of the Australian Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Chair of the AWMA Australian Wound Standards Committee, a member of the AWMA Venous Leg Ulcer Committee, Chair Evidence Committee International Wound Infection Institute andChair of the WoundsWest Education Committee.

 In addition, Keryln sits on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Stomal Therapy Australia and the Journal of Wound Practice and Research. She is actively involved in the development and role out of the WoundsWest© project. WoundsWest is a partnership  initiative between WA Health, Silver Chain and Curtin University and has resulted in statewide wound prevalence surveys, online wound education modules and an online  wound advisory service. Keryln is an active participant in the Wound Management Innovation CRC in her roles with Curtin University, Silver Chain and WoundsWest. She has many publications and delivered key note addresses nationally and internationally. She was awarded the inaugural Life Time Achievement Award for Nursing by WA Health in 2010.

Dr Ross Bradbury is a graduate of the University of Sydney, a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. He is the Head of the Department of Microbiology at Concord Hospital, a Teaching Hospital for the University of Sydney. He has a busy clinical Infectious Diseases and Microbiology involvement at four hospitals in Sydney – Concord, Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai, as well as The Sydney Adventists and Strathfield Private. He also provides a service to Dubbo Base Hospital. As Chairman of a number of Infection Control Committees and Chairman of the Drug Committee at Concord Hospital he has developed a strong interest in hospital infections and the judicious use of antibiotics in both hospitals and the community. He is a former member of both the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee and the Australian Adverse Drug Reaction Committee. He has had a long involvement in teaching at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level.