Annual Meeting Program

The Thomas K. Hunt Endowed Lecture, established in 2013, honors the legacy of Dr. Thomas K. Hunt, a pioneering leader in wound healing research and a founding member of the Wound Healing Society. This annual lecture aims to inspire and educate wound healing researchers by highlighting innovations in related fields. Each year, the Wound Healing Foundation selects an honorary speaker, not limited to those directly involved in wound healing research but inclusive of investigators who demonstrate the ability to bridge scientific gaps and apply fundamental physiological principles to understand healing processes across multiple organ systems. This year, the Thomas K. Hunt Lecturer will be a distinguished stem cell biologist Dr. Fiona Watt. Dr.Watt, obtained her DPhil from the University of Oxford and completed her postdoctoral research at M.I.T., Cambridge, USA. She established her first laboratory at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in London before moving to the London Research Institute. From 2006 to 2012, she served as Deputy Director of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute and the Welcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research at the University of Cambridge. In September 2012, she joined King's College London as the Director of the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. In 2021, the Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM) merged with the Centre for Cell and Gene Therapy to form the Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Watt's research focuses on cell fate decisions and the skin microenvironment, with current projects exploring self-renewal and lineage selection by human and mouse epidermal stem cells, the role of stem cells in tumor formation in the epidermis and oral tissues, and the assembly and function of the epidermal cornified envelope.
In 2022, Dr. Watt became the Director of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, where she continues to lead a research group focused on these critical areas of study.

This session will explore the intricate and evolving interactions between the human host and microbial pathogens, emphasizing the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive this interaction. Two leading experts will dissect the dynamic relationship between the immune system and pathogens, highlighting how this interaction influences health, disease progression, and recovery, shedding light on potential therapeutic targets for infectious diseases and chronic wounds.

This session will focus on the immune system's role in tissue repair, providing a deep dive into the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive these processes. One speaker will talk about the interactions between innate and adaptive immune cells during wound healing, discussing how these cells coordinate tissue repair and how aberrant immune responses contribute to chronic wound pathology. He will also provide insights into emerging therapeutic targets to restore immune balance and enhance healing outcomes. The other speaker will discuss how innovative biomaterials are being developed to influence immune responses and improve wound healing. Her talk will focus on how these materials can modulate immune activity, offering new therapeutic avenues to support effective tissue repair and prevent complications in chronic wound

This session will discuss the molecular landscape of the injury site at unprecedented resolution by using spatial omics to pinpoint the active genes and how proteins interact in the intricate wound microenvironment. A key focus will be on the diversity and heterogeneity of different residents as well as blood-borne cell types. We will have two top speakers in regenerative medicine talking about the most recent progressions and practical uses in the field and exploring how spatial omics could revolutionize wound care and regenerative medicine potentials. These insights will drive personalized medicine breakthroughs, uncover fresh biomarkers, and guide targeted therapeutic strategies.

The Wound Healing Society is pleased to offer the Wound Shark Innovation Competition held during the 2025 WHS Annual meeting. The competition showcases science and new product innovation. Submit your proposal details for groundbreaking science and new product innovations to be considered for presentation onsite at the meeting. The competition focuses on the latest innovations in advanced wound care. The judging criteria for the competition includes: novelty of the innovation, development stage, clinical unmet need, market potential, pricing and reimbursement strategy, competitive advantage and competition, and the ability to attract an angel or VC investment.

This session will explore innovative strategies to enable tissue regeneration and improve outcomes in chronic wounds. Expert speakers will discuss cutting-edge research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that can be harnessed to "jumpstart" regenerative processes in damaged tissues.

This session will explore how biophysical principles govern tissue repair and renewal. Two renowned experts will present their research on how mechanical, electrical, and molecular signals converge to promote healing and regeneration. They will focus on the interplay between cellular dynamics and tissue architecture, providing insights into the complex systems that guide tissue renewal in both natural and engineered environments.

This session will explore the role of metabolomics in uncovering the biochemical landscapes that shape wound healing. Two eminent speakers will discuss how metabolic profiling can reveal biomarkers, identify potential therapeutic targets, and offer insights into personalized approaches for wound management. Discussions will include cutting-edge research and the translational potential of metabolomics in clinical wound care.

The Wound Healing Society (WHS), the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS) and the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) share the common goal of improving wound healing outcomes through research and global dissemination of information. In this collaborative international session, one speaker from each organization will present the latest findings about emerging technologies for reducing scar formation. In addition, this session will stimulate discussion and shape the dialogue focused on this important clinical problem aiming to foster collaborations to advance global research in this critical field.

In this session, young investigators involved in cutting-edge research will compete for the WHS Young Investigator Award. The winner will present his/her work at the ETRS meeting. Oral presentations will feature the top eight abstracts submitted to the WHS by young investigators and the ETRS Young Investigator Award winner.

Wound healing is a complex biological process influenced by mechanical stress, inflammation, and microenvironmental strain. This session, Battling Stress and Strain in Wound Healing: Creative Approaches to Disparate Challenges, will explore innovative strategies to overcome these barriers. We will have three emerging swound experts discussing how mechanical forces shape healing outcomes, novel biomaterials that mitigate stress-induced damage, and emerging therapeutic approaches that enhance tissue resilience. Attendees will gain insights into the interplay between biomechanics, cellular responses, and translational solutions for improving wound repair.

While genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have long been the foundational pillars of wound healing science, this session will delve into the emerging and less explored "-omics" that reshape the understanding of tissue repair. This includes spatial omics and the molecular influence of stress, ethnicity, and other confounding variables. By examining how these underexplored factors impact the biological processes involved in wound repair, the session aims to uncover the sources of disparities in healing outcomes across different populations. The discussion will highlight how stress, sociocultural factors, and unique biological signatures can contribute to personalized wound care strategies. This session seeks to advance a more holistic and inclusive approach to wound healing that accounts for the broader context of each patient, paving the way for more effective and equitable therapeutic interventions.

Oral abstract presentations will feature the highest scoring abstracts submitted to the WHS.

TRAINEE AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE (K1)
Moderators: Teresa Jones, MD; Molly Ogle, PhD; Maria-Teresa Piccoli, PhD TRAILBLAZERS IN WOUND HEALING RESEARCH (K2)
Moderators: Susan Volk, VMD, PhD, DACVS; Bouke Boekema, MD MOLECULAR INSIGHTS AND THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN ACUTE WOUND HEALING (K3)
Moderators: Daria Narmoneva, PhD; George Theocharidis, PhD MOLECULAR PATHWAYS, BARRIERS, AND BREAKTHROUGH SOLUTIONS IN CHRONIC WOUNDS (K4)
Moderators: Piul Rabbani, PhD; Harvey Himel, MD

Oral abstract presentations will feature the highest-scoring abstracts submitted to the WHS.

INFLAMMATION, BIOFILM INFECTION, AND IMMUNITY (L1)
Moderators: Linday Kalan, PhD; Mithun Sinha, PhD EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX AND REGENERATIVE HEALING (L2)
Moderators: Helena Zomer, PhD; Carlos Zgheib, PhD FIBROSIS AND SCARRING (L3)
Moderators: Anie Philip, PhD; Swathi Balaji, MD ADVANCES IN BIOMATERIALS AND BIOENGINEERING FOR WOUND HEALING THERAPEUTICS (L4)
Moderators: Kara Spiller, PhD; Daniel Gibson, PhD

This session will highlight six exciting projects in the NIDDK Diabetic Foot Consortium for biomarkers predictive of diabetic foot ulcer healing. A panel discussion will follow short presentations on bacterial biomarkers that analyze the transcriptome (Dr. Lindsay Kalan) and metagenome (Dr. Brian Schmidt) of the wound microbiome; wound bed biomarkers that measure its metabolites (Dr. Sashwati Roy) and inflammatory state of macrophages (Dr. Kara Spiller); and systemic biomarkers that measure serum proteins (Dr. Monika Niewczas) and urine microRNAs (Dr. Rivka Stone).

This session will highlight the work of individuals that have recently received awards for their work.

This session will highlight the highest-scoring abstracts selected for poster presentations. Eight short 'rapid-fire' poster talks will be featured. Presenters will have one slide and two minutes to summarize novel research findings, then one minute to answer questions. This session will immediately precede the poster gala, where all poster presenters will be available to discuss their research.

This session will explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI)'s changing wound care by looking at the advanced technologies powered by AI that are transforming how we diagnose wounds and predict outcomes for healing while also improving treatment approaches. We have two eminent speakers who will talk about the ways in which machine learning algorithms and predictive models, as well as AI-supported decision-making systems, are improving wound evaluation processes and leading to better results for patients. This session will also showcase real-world applications of AI in capturing images of wounds, examining risks, and automatically analyzing data to underline the significant role of AI in shaping the future of wound care.

Oral presentations will feature the highest-scoring abstracts submitted to the WHS.

INNOVATIONS IN BURN WOUND CARE (P1)
Moderators: Shawn Tejiram, MD, FACS, FABA; Mohamed El Masry, MD, PhD BRIDGING BENCH TO BEDSIDE IN CHRONIC WOUND RESEARCH (P2)
Moderators: Adriana Panayi, MD, PhD; Ivan Jozic, PhD MANAGING CHRONIC WOUNDS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE (P3)
Moderators: Monika Anna Niewczas, PhD; Brian Schmidt, PhD BIOENGINEERING AND BIOMATERIALS FOR EMERGING WOUND HEALING THERAPIES (P4)
Moderators: Kath Bogie, D.Phil; Nathan Balukoff, PhD