2005

Dear Attendees,
On behalf of the Wound Healing Society, the Program Committee, and the Board of Directors, we welcome you to Chicago and the 15th Annual Meeting of the Wound Healing Society. This meeting will be an outstanding opportunity to explore new concepts and directions for translating basic discovery into applications in clinical wound science. In addition to a plenary program that includes topics such as angiogenesis, stem cells, clinical trials in wound healing, bioengineering, and advances in translational research, there will be many other timely and original poster and podium presentations. The meeting will end with two exciting options: an expert panel presentation and discussion that will provide in-depth information on the use of a variety of animal wound model systems, and a wet-lab instructional session on use of skin substitutes sponsored by Organogenesis, Inc.

Several special sessions have been scheduled to showcase new developments in wound healing. For the first time, WHS is offering a pre-meeting workshop for those interested in product development, entitled “Taking an Idea to Market Workshop”, sponsored by Cambrex Bioscience. An exciting keynote address, sponsored by Healthpoint, will be delivered by Dr. David Stocum and will highlight advances in concepts of regeneration by one of the leading figures in the field. On Wednesday evening, be sure to view the Blue Ribbon posters. Our industrial colleagues’ research will be featured in Posters #68-82 and judged for a special competition. On Thursday afternoon, a highlight of the program will be the Johnson & Johnson Wound Management-sponsored Young Investigator Award competition where ten of our brightest young scientists will provide podium presentations. On Friday afternoon, the session will feature results presented by the 2003 and 2004 recipients of the prestigious Wound Healing Foundation 3M Fellowship Award, along with the presentation of this year’s award.

In order for WHS to continue to have an impact on the progress of wound healing research, education, and wound care, we rely on membership involvement. You will also be able to learn more about the activities and accomplishments of the Society’s outstanding committees and initiatives during the business meeting on Friday afternoon.

The program and the venue have been designed to maximize the interchange of scientific information. To complement the formal sessions, there will be a Welcome Reception on Wednesday evening; a wine and cheese poster session on Thursday evening; daily educational luncheons sponsored by Smith & Nephew and Organogenesis; and a chance to chat and enjoy the world-renowned collections of the Art Institute of Chicago during Friday evening’s gala event.

This year’s meeting includes more abstract presentations than ever before, and it carries on a tradition as a premier forum for advancing our scientific understanding of mechanisms and effective therapies in one of the most challenging biomedical fields. We encourage you to visit all of our sponsors in the Exhibit Hall and learn about the latest wound care products; to network with academic, government, and industrial colleagues; and to take advantage of the wealth of expertise present at the meeting, while enjoying the cultural opportunities of the Windy City of Chicago.

Vincent Falanga, MD
President

Jeffrey M. Davidson, PhD
President-Elect

Timothy Crombleholme, MD
Program Committee Co-Chair

Luisa Ann DiPietro, DDS, PhD
Program Committee Co-Chair