The Thomas K. Hunt Endowed Lecture was established in 2013 to honor the legacy of Dr. Hunt who is a leader in wound healing research and a founding member of the Wound Healing Society. The purpose of this lecture is to inspire and educate wound healing researchers on related research innovations. Every year an honorary speaker is chosen by the Wound Healing Foundation and not limited to those who are directly involved in wound healing research but includes investigators who demonstrate the ability to bridge scientific gaps and cross boundaries through the use of basic physiology to understand healing processes in multiple organ systems. Noble prize recipient Dr Schekman will discuss how many cells secrete small extracellular vesicles (EVs) or exosomes. The EVs may carry proteins and RNA to target cells to change the pattern of gene expression or disease. His lab has found EVs isolated from fibroblasts or keratinocytes stimulate the migration of cells in a wound healing assay. By understanding the EV process, vesicles may be used to deliver therapeutic molecules for improved skin wound healing.

MicroRNAs play a pivotal role in the wound healing process contributing to the regulation of inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. In recent years, several key microRNA have been identified as critical to angiogenesis, epidermal development, and ECM production. These presentations will highlight the role of key microRNA in the normal healing process and their role in non-healing wounds and fibrosis and discuss miRNA therapies for chronic wounds and fibrosis.

The study of regeneration in wound healing can be accomplished in many different model systems, each with their own pros and cons. In this session, we will learn about the use of two unique model systems, the Zebrafish and the African Spiny Mouse and how their unique regenerative properties can be studied to improve wound healing in humans.

Microbes are known to impair healing and can cause infection and additional complication. The pathophysiological nature of these microbial communities and their roles in modulating the immunological and local wound milieu responses are being targeted for improved wound care practices. These presentations will highlight several advances in our current understanding of microbial communities and their interactions, wound pathogens, antimicrobial resistance and ongoing efforts to translate basic research findings to clinical wound care.

Following a brief introduction of the program, the competition will focus on two areas of wound research. A translational track (clinical and research studies) and a commercial track (products and devices). Participants will be solicited by a general email and must be wound healing members to participate. Each participants will have 5 minutes to present their work in a single PowerPoint slide. Presentations will be followed by Q&A from judges and a winner from each track will be announced. Track winners will receive a prize, crystal award, and 10 hours of mentorship support opportunities from Alira Health.
This session is a WHS Members Only Event. Lunch will be Provided.

All biomaterials elicit an immune response when implanted. While this response has historically been considered deleterious to wound healing, novel biomaterials have been developed to trigger desired tissue responses including angiogenesis and recruitment of pro-remodeling macrophages. This session will focus on recent advances in immunomodulatory biomaterials for enhanced wound repair.

Wound healing is a significant challenge for systems biologists, as the injury is targeted to the local tissue, but the response to this injury elicits a systemic response. In addition to the trafficking of inflammatory (and anti-inflammatory cells) to the wound bed, the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS) can participate in the repair and regenerative response. This session will review the mechanisms of nervous system involvement in injury, current concepts governing the efferent and afferent pathways affected by wounding, and the role played by neuro-inflammation.

The purpose of this one-year Wound Healing Innovation Grant supported by Medline is to stimulate scientific research of young investigators or junior faculty who are pursuing a career in wound healing research and have innovative research that can potentially change or provide new therapies or products. Presentation of the second award will be made. In the WHF-Medline Corius Innovation Lecture, the inaugural recipient Ivan Jozic, PhD will present the results of his award-funded research on an innovative and potentially commercializable technology targeting caveolins in chronic wounds. A panel discussion on the research and technology prospective commercialization will follow the lecture.

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 as well as the winner of the ETRS Young Investigator Award.

The relationship between wound healing and cancer has long been recognized. The mechanisms that regulate wound healing have been shown to promote transformation and growth of malignant cells. In addition, chronic inflammation has been associated with malignant transformation in many tissues. This session will explore how similarities and differences between healing wounds and tumor stroma continue to evolve, shedding light on possible therapeutic targets that can result in innovative treatments for wound healing and/or cancer.

This session will provide an informal, interactive forum for trainees and new investigators on a wide range of topics in wound research and practice including scientific publications, grant writing, professional mentoring, developing a professional network and work-life balance among others. Several senior WHS members and established investigators will share their experiences and suggestions in individual topic-based table forums. Attendees are welcome to mingle and interact with various members.

The purpose of this one-year Wound Healing Fellowship supported by 3M is to stimulate scientific research and career development of young investigators or junior faculty who are pursuing a career in wound healing research. In the WHF-3M Fellowship session, the 2019 awardee, Piul Rabbani, PhD from New York University School of Medicine will present her fellowship-funded research on stem cells and therapeutic exosomes.

In the WHF-3M Fellowship session, the 2021 awardee will be recognized. The 2020 awardee, Catherine B Anders, PhD from the Idaho Veteran’s Research & Education Foundation will present her fellowship-funded research on longitudinal in situ profiling of wound associated macrophage phenotypes by Q-IHC.

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.

Skin is constantly exposed to mechanical forces. Wounding significantly alters this environment leading to a disruption in mechanical homeostasis and alterations in mechanotransduction. These mechanical cues not only alter cellular function but also alter extracellular matrix stiffness and organization and are powerful mediators of both normal and abnormal healing. This session will explore how the mechanical environment controls wound healing from inflammation to remodeling and will discuss recent advances in therapies aimed at controlling the mechanical environment of healing wounds.

Join us for some conversation with the authors and networking with colleagues at this staple reception. Poster Presenters are expected to attend this entire event, to be available to discuss their research. SAWC and WHS abstract awards as well as Evonne Fowler's Founders Award will also be presented.
**POSTER PRESENTERS SHOULD ATTEND THIS ENTIRE EVENT**

Skin color can be associated with wound healing phenotypes and differences in resultant closed wound and scar. In this session we will examine the continuum of scarring and how lesions vary based on skin color. We will focus on dyspigmentation or dyschromia and extreme examples of scarring such as keloids.

Clinical signs of wound infection (redness, heat, swelling, and pain) and improper healing are insufficient for proper diagnosis and treatment of chronic wounds due to the complexity of the wounds and polymicrobial biofilms. New biomarkers exist that can guide the care giver for the best regimen of care. The speakers will provide some insights of the current best practices for diagnosing wound imbalance and infection as well as future biomarkers that may provide clues to improved homeostasis of the wound bed.