Professor Jeffrey Hubbell
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, ETH, Lausanne, Switzerland

Prof Hubble's research is in the field of biomaterials, with applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery in mind. He tends to select research problems that require a substantial understanding of biology and that require the development of novel materials. As such, the group consists of people with backgrounds in biology, materials chemistry, and bioengineering, about one-third coming from each area. Materials focus at the moment is biological activity, whether the design and use of biological or biomimetic molecules, or the development of materials that can respond to biological signals.

Current applications foci are (i) regenerative medicine, especially angiogenesis, bone healing, chronic dermal wound healing, and nerve regeneration; (ii) delivery of drugs to the cytoplasm or the nucleus, especially delivery of plasmid DNA and antisense oligonucleotides across the plasma membrane and into the appropriate intracellular targets; and (ii) delivery of anticancer or antiproliferative drugs in difficult-to-reach loci using biological trafficking, especially the peritoneum, the coronary artery wall, and the lymphatics. More information about his research can be found on the group’s home page at

Website: http://lmrp.epfl.ch

Studies of wound healing and inflammation in flies and fish and mice. Embryos heal wounds very rapidly and efficiently and without leaving a scar. Studying how they do this can tell us much about the natural morphogenetic movements of embryogenesis as well as suggesting ways in which we might make adult tissues repair more efficiently. Using live confocal imaging of transgenic Drosophila embryos expressing gfp-actin in epithelial tissues we have revealed the key actin machineries that drive the paradigm morphogenetic process of dorsal closure which appears to bear striking analogy with re-epithelialisation of a vertebrate skin wound.

Professor Cees Oomens
Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

Cees Oomens is senior lecturer (UHD) in Biomechanics and Continuummechanics. He studied physics at Eindhoven University of Technology. He obtained his PhD at Twente University (1985) on a study on the mechanical behaviour of skin under supervision of Prof. Dr.Ir.D.H. van Campen. At the present time his research is focussed on damage and adaptation of soft biological tissues, with emphasis on skeletal muscle tissue and skin. A major application field is a study on the aetiology of pressure ulcers. The goals are to develop an objective method to identify patients at risk of developing a pressure ulcer and to develop techniques for early detection of deep tissue injury.

A multi-scale approach is adopted, ranging from studies on cultured cells, tissue engineered constructs of muscle and skin, in-vivo animal studies and human studies. Theoretical models include convective and diffusive transport processes in deforming structures and interaction with growth, synthesis and damage development.

Website: http://www.mate.tue.nl/mate/showemp.php/5

Dr Laura Edsberg
Dr. Laura Edsberg is director of the Center for Wound Healing Research and the Natural & Health Sciences Research Center at Daemen College in Amherst, New York. She received her bachelor's degree from Cornell University and her masters and doctoral degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Currently, Dr. Edsberg is serving as President of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (USA). Dr. Edsberg has written articles on the microstructural and mechanical properties of pressure ulcer tissue, as well as on current treatments in wound healing. Dr. Edsberg's research is focused on the effects of pressure on tissue and the biochemistry of healing and non-healing wounds. Currently, her research group is involved in studies seeking to identify biomarkers associated with healing in chronic wounds.