Merit Awards and Scholarships

The Wound Healing Foundation is pleased to offer recognition to deserving scientists and clinicians in the field of wound healing. The purpose of the Foundation scientific merit awards and travel scholarships is to recognize and reward deserving wound healing researchers by facilitating their attendance at meetings such as the WHS annual meeting. The WHF recognizes the importance of furthering research in the area of wound healing. By assisting top researchers and facilitating the presentation and scientific discussion of new discoveries, we strive to encourage and mentor young scientists’ professional growth.

These monetary awards and scholarships are used to offset travel and professional development expenses.

The awards are presented at the Friday WHF Awards Session of the WHS annual meeting or at other events.

The goal for this program is to award scholarships between $250 and $1,000 depending on availability and research quality. Help a deserving wound healing researcher attend a scientific meeting by going to our donate page to make a donation today.

Travel scholarships are made possible in part by financial support from our sponsors and personal donations.

Past WHF Award & Scholarship Recipients

2021

2021 Anita Roberts Award
Rivka Stone
“A Bioengineered Living Cell Construct Activates Metallothionein/Zinc/MMP8 and Inhibits TGF? to Stimulate Remodeling of Fibrotic Venous Leg Ulcers”

2021 Execellence in Translational Science Award
Amitava Das
“ONCOSTATIN M IMPROVES CUTANEOUS WOUND RE-EPITHELIALIZATION AND IS DEFICIENT UNDER DIABETIC CONDITIONS”

Susan Volk
“Cysteine-rich Domain Of Type III Collagen N-propeptide Inhibits Fibroblast Activation By Attenuating Tgfβ Signaling”

2021 Industrial Research and Development Poster Award Winner
Jon Senkowsky
“A NON-CONTACT DEVICE FOR FAST SCREENING OF WOUND INFECTIONS”

2021 Industrial Research and Development Poster Award Nominees
Sadanori Akita
“Effects Of Hand Hygiene Using 4% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Or Natural Soap During Hand Rubbing Followed By Alcohol-based 1% Chlorhexidine Sanitizer Lotion In The Operating Room”

Paul Bonvallet
“Mechanical Properties And In Vitro Characterization Of A Tri-layer Placental Allograft Membrane”

Abe Janis
“MODELING PERISTOMAL SKIN COMPLICATIONS IN VITRO WITH RECONSTRUCTED HUMAN SKIN & ILEOSTOMY DEJECTA”

John McQuillings
“A Prospective Clinical Trial Evaluating Potential Changes In The Wound Microenvironment In Patients With Chronic Venous Leg With A Hypothermically Stored Amniotic Membrane”

Vojtech Pavl�k
“Hyaluronic Acid Chloramide – The Efficacy And Safety Of A Novel Antiseptic”

Victoria Stefanelli
“Dehydrated Amniotic And Placental Membrane Allografts Confer Beneficial Immunomodulation For Tissue Regeneration”

2021 Junior Faculty Award
Kanhaiya Singh
“Single-cell Rna-sequencing Identifies Novel Molecular Targets Of Endothelial Microrna-200b In Diabetic Ischemic Wound”

2021 WHF Trainee Travel Award
Christopher Audu
“Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Regulate Th17 Activation In Diabetic Wound Cd4+ T-cells”

Proma Basu
“Mechanisms Of Chronic Wound Initiation”

Vivien Chen
“CELL THERAPY STIMULATES ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF VENOUS LEG ULCERS VIA PERFORIN-2”

Anne Chenchar
“Inhibition Of Cysteine Protease Cathepsin K Accelerates Wound Healing In A Diabetic Porcine Model”

Alex Cheong
“Trade-offs Between Antiseptic Efficacy And Cytotoxicity In A Human Ex Vivo Wound Contamination Model”

Kaiti Duan
“Fibronectin Functionalized Collagen Scaffold Preferentially Promotes Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation And Promotes Stronger Vascular Formation Via Alpha-v Beta-3 Integrin Interactions”

Mohamed El Masry
“Aurine Tricarboxylic Acid (ATA) Disrupts DNase-resistant Wound Biofilm Formed By Persister Clinical Isolate Bacteria”

Gayathri Ganesh
“Aged And Apoptotic Neutrophil Derived Microparticles For Wound Healing”

Nandini Ghosh
“PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA THEFT BIOFILM REQUIRES HOST LIPIDSOF CUTANEOUS WOUND”

Jayson Jay
“Photoactivated Rose Bengal Dye Induces Proliferation And Mitigates Fibrotic Phenotype In Dermal Fibroblasts”

Jane Kim
“CHLORATE AND ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT DISMANTLE PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA BIOFILM AND LEAD TO HEALING OF CHRONIC WOUNDS”

Upasana Niyogi
“Effect Of Senescent Cells Clearance On Wound Healing”

Katelyn Rivas
“Wound Reepithelialization And Inflammation Are Impaired In Perforin-2 Deficient Young And Aged Mice”

Dhruv Seshadri
“The Impact Of Electroceutical Therapy On Acidity And Healing In Chronic Ischemic Wounds”

2021 Young Investigator Award Winner
Shamiik Mascharak
“Wnt-active Engrailed-1 Lineage-negative Fibroblasts Mediate Postnatal Skin Regeneration”

2021 Young Investigator Award Finalists
Jelena Marjanovic
“MiR-193b-3p In Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Master Regulator Of Impaired Wound Healing And A Tumor Protector”

Umang Parikh
“ENERGY METABOLISM GOVERNS THE DEGREE OF FIBROSIS IN DERMAL WOUND HEALING”

Walker Short
“Interleukin-10 Producing T-Lymphocytes Mitigate Dermal Fibrosis”

2021 Young Investigator Award Nominees
Ana Tellechea
“Novel Antibiotic-Free Synthetic Wound Matrix Prevents Wound Infection And Promotes Healing”

Juan Francisco
“Cortes Troncoso Exosome Topical Therapy Delivered In Bioinspired Synthetic Protein Hydrogel Enhances Cutaneous Healing Of Diabetic Wounds”

Nicholas Guardino
“Adipocytes In Dermal Wounds Undergo Conversion To Pro-fibrotic Fibroblasts That Contribute To Scar Formation”

Dominic Henn
“CRISPR/Cas9 Editing Of Autologous Dendritic Cells To Enhance Angiogenesis And Wound Healing”

2021 Distinguished Service Award Winner
Manuela Martins-Green

2020

2020 Junior Faculty
Daniel Gibson, PhD
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
“A Systems Biology Approach To Improved Grouping, Timing, And Statistical Power In The WISH Study Patient Population Of Chronic Wounds”
Sponsor: Joyce K. Stechmiller, RN, PhD

2020 Translational Regenerative Science
Lisa Tucker-Kellogg, PhD
Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
“Deferoxamine Improves Wound Healing In A Mouse Model Of Delayed Healing From Pressure Injury”

Michelle Griffin, PhD
University College London, London, United Kingdom
“Lipotransfer Effectively Reverses Skin Fibrosis”
Sponsor: Peter Butler, MD

2020 Young Investigator Award Winners & Nominees
Young Investigator Award Winner
Aayushi Uberoi
Commensal Microbiota Regulates Skin Barrier Function And Repair Via Signaling Through The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

Young Investigator Award Finalists
Janos Berrera
Digit Tip Regeneration Relies On Germ Layer Restricted Wnt And Hedgehog Signaling

Joseph Kuhn
Human Nrf2-Active Multipotent Stromal Cell Exosomes Reverse Pathologic Diabetic Wound Healing

Christopher Turner
Granzyme B Contributes To Pressure Injury Severity In Aged Skin

Young Investigator Award Nominees
Trevor Leonardo
Human Tissue Repair And Regeneration – Regulatory Landscapes In Response To Injury

Nava Rijal
Theoretical-Experimental Approach To Develop Electrotherapy For Diabetic Wound Healing

Alvaro Villerreal Ponce
Epidermal Nrf2 Orchestrates Tissue Regeneration Through Regulation Of Ccl2

Alvaro Villarreal Ponce, PhD
NYU Langone Health, New York City, NY
“Epidermal Nrf2 Orchestrates Tissue Regeneration Through Regulation Of Ccl2”

2020 Trainee Travel Award
Sara Ud-Din, BSc, MSc
University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
“Quantitative Assessment Of Anatomical, Physiological And Mechanical Parameters Of Cutaneous Wound Healing And Scarring In Human Skin”
Sponsor: Ardeshir Bayat, MD

Kanhaiya Singh, PhD
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
“Single-cell RNA-sequencing Identifies Novel Molecular Targets Of Endothelial MicroRNA-200b In Ischemic Wound”
Sponsor: Chandan K. Sen, PhD

Meiling Melzer
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
“Beta-catenin Activation In Cardiac Fibroblasts Modulates The Immune Micro-environment To Promote Fibrosis And Heart Failure Following Chronic Injury”
Sponsor: Sarika Saraswati, PhD

Nandini Ghosh, PhD
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
“Host Skin Lipids Enable Biofilm Pathogenicity Compromising Functional Cutaneous Wound Closure”
Sponsor: Chandan K. Sen, PhD

Jane Kim, BS
University of California, Riverside, CA
“High Levels Of Os Are Critical For Bacterial Biofilm-Development In Diabetic Chronic Wounds”
Sponsor: Manuela Martins-Green, PhD

Jake Jones, BS
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
“Deep Learning For Automated Segmentation Of Skin Wounds”
Sponsor: Kyle Quinn, PhD

Imran Khan
Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
“Host Biofilm Interaction In Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma”
Sponsor: Chandan K. Sen, PhD

Sydney Resnik
University of Miami, Miami, FL
“Comparative Transcriptomics Of Human Diabetic Foot Ulcers And Diabetic Mouse Wounds Reveals Limited Overlap”
Sponsor: Marjana Tomic-Canic, PhD

Laurice Flowers, PhD
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
“The Interaction Of Microbial Virulence With Age Alters The Keratinocyte Wound Healing And Inflammatory Response”
Sponsor: Elizabeth Grice, PhD

Hira Butt
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
“Epigallocatechin-3-gallate Primed Human Wharton�S Jelly Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Seeded Hydrogel Construct Improves Healing Of Thermal Burns”
Sponsor: Sheikh Riazuddin, PhD

2020 Industrial Research Poster Finalist
Katie Mowry, PhD
Organogenesis Inc, Birmingham, AL
“Clinical Trial Evaluating Changes In The Wound Microenvironment In Patients With Vlus Treated With A Hypothermically Stored Amniotic Membrane”

Priya Niranjan, PhD
Swiss American CDMO, Carrollton, TX
“Novel Role Of Proteases In Wound Healing”

Victoria Stefanelli, PhD
Integra LifeSciences, Plainsboro, NJ
“Favorable Modulation Of Inflammation And Immunity Is Achieved With Both Single And Tri-layer Amniotic Membrane Allografts”

Jon Senkowsky, MD
Texas Health Physician’s group, Arlington, TX
“A Non-contact Device For Quick Screening Of Wound Infections In Chronic Wound Patients”
Sponsor: Progenitec Inc., Arlington, TX

Katie Mowry, PhD
Organogenesis Inc, Birmingham, AL
“Effect Of Dehydrated Amnion Chorion Membranes On Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro”

Eric Roche, PhD
Smith+Nephew, Fort Worth, TX
“Superior Debridement By A Novel Enzyme Versus Autolytic Comparators In A Porcine Wound Model With Eschar”

Sadanori Akita, PhD
Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
“Fatty Acid Potassium Had Beneficial Bactericidal And Biofilms Removal Effects With Reduced Cytotoxicity Of Fibroblasts And Keratinocytes”
Sponsor: Fukuoka Industrial technology Center, Fukuoka, Japan

Vimal Jacob
Smith & Nephew, Columbia, MD
“Structural And Functional Equivalency Between Lyopreserved And Cryopreserved Chorions With Viable Cells”

Hilary Xu
Alkahest Inc., San Carlos, CA
“Human Plasma Fraction Improves Diabetic Wound Healing In Mice”

Yong Mao, PhD
Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ
“Exosomes Mediate Anti-Fibrotic Effects Of Placental Membranes”
Sponsor: Smith & Nephew, Columbia, MD

Dolly K. Khona
Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
“Wireless Electroceutical Dressing Is Effective In Managing Candida Albicans Yeast Infection�”
Sponsor: Vomaris Wound Care, Inc., Tempe, AZ

2019

Jo�o Cardeira da Silva, PhD
Sponsor: Didier Stainier, PhD
Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
De- and reconstructing the immune response during zebrafish cardiac regeneration

Nandini Ghosh, PhD
Sponsor: Chandan Sen, PhD
Indiana University Center for Regenerative Medicine & Engineering, Indianapolis, IN
Biofilm Infection Dysregulates Ceramide Metabolism Compromising Functional Wound Closure Of The Skin

Mohammed Ashrafi, MD
Sponsor: Adreshir Bayet, MD, PhD
Manchester University, Manchester, UK
A Microbiome And Metabolomic Signature Of Phases Of Cutaneous Healing Identified By Profiling Sequential Acute Wounds Of Human Skin

Amitava Das, PhD
Sponsor: Sahwati Roy, PhD
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Low Microrna-21 In Diabetic Wound Macrophages Impair Resolution Of Inflammation

Li Bian, PhD
Sponsor: Xiao-Jing Wang, PhD
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Smad7 Ameliorates TGF?-mediated Skin Inflammation And Associated Wound Healing Defects

Jessica M. Eager, PhD
Sponsor: Kara L. Spiller, PhD
School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Gene Expression Analysis Of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Debrided Tissue For Predicting Responsiveness To Treatments

Nicholas E. Clay, PhD
US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX
A Plasma-alginate Composite Material Provides Improved Mechanical Support For Stem Cell Growth And Delivery

2018

Maximilian K�ckelhaus, MD
WHF Impact Award
BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
Regeneration of the entire human epidermis using transgenic stem cells

Alessandra Moore, MD
Stanford University
Establishing scarless healing in adult skin fibroblasts using CRISPR-Cas9 gene targeting

Michelle Bach, PhD
Sponsor: Paul L. Bollyky, MD, D Phil
Stanford University
Pf Phage In Chronic Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Wound Infections

Kanhaiya Singh, PhD
Sponsor: Chandan K Sen, PhD
Ohio State University
Epigenetic Mapping Of Wound Edge From Chronic Wound Patients Using Next Generation Sequencing

Mari�lle Walraven, PhD
Sponsor Boris Hinz
University of Toronto
Mechanical Education In Vitro Enhances Regenerative Capacities Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vivo

2017

Mohamed El Masry
Sponsor: Chandan K Sen, PhD
Ohio State University
Enrichment of skin stem cell pool by inducible hair folliculogenesis

Jeffery� Kwock, MD
Sponsor: Amanda MacLeod, MD
Duke University Medical Center
IL-27 promotes innate immunity and antiviral competence in wounds

2016

Dimitris Karamichos, PhD
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center,Dean McGee Eye Institute
Quercetin inhibits corneal scar formation in vivo

2015

Swathi Balaji , Ph.D. & Vivekananda Sunkari, Ph.D
Sponsor: Paul L. Bollyky, M.D., D.Phil.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Regulatory t-cells potentiate wound repair and augment diabetic wound healing

Gary Sidwick, Ph.D.
Sponsor: Ardeshir Bayat, Ph.D.
University of Manchester
Comparative analysis of proteomic and whole genome microarray datasets in both keloid and normal skin tissue and fibroblasts

Sina Nassiri, Ph.D.
Sponsor: Kara L. Spiller, Ph.D.
Drexel University
A macrophage phenotype-related expression ratio predicts healing outcome in human chronic diabetic foot ulcers: a preliminary study

Shomita Mathew-Steiner, Ph.D.
Sponsor: Chandan K. Sen, Ph.D.
Ohio State University
Wound healing in the Ossabaw model of obesity and pre-metabolic syndrome

2014

Ana Luisa Alves Tellechea, Pharm. D.
Sponsor: Aristidis Veves, M.D., D.Sc.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
Mast cell stabilization: A potential treatment for diabetic foot ulcers

Michael Januszyk, M.D.
Sponsor: Geoff Gurtner, M.D.
Stanford University
Mechanical modulation of wound healing via cell-matrix interaction and control of inflammatory pathways in a large animal model

Jisook Lee, Ph.D.
Sponsor: Brian P. Eliceiri, Ph.D.
University of San Diego, Department of Surgery
Next generation animal models for injury research using mice transplanted with a human hemato-lymphoid system: Injury-induced human leuckocyte mobilization

Michael D. Wetzel, Ph.D.
Sponsor: Celeste C. Finnerty, M.D.
University of Texas Medical Branch
Novel effects of biguanide drugs on reducing hyperglycemia in burn patients through alteration of oxidative respiratory pathway

Monika Vinish, Ph.D.
University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Anesthesiology
Dendritic cells in regulation of burn wound healing

Graham Walmsley
Sponsor: Michael Longaker, M.D., M.B.A.
Stanford University
Live fibroblast harvest exposes transcriptional and surface marker shift in vitro

Yalini Vigneswaran, M.D.
University of Chicago Medical Center, Department of Surgery
Macrophage polarization in response to self-assembling peptide biomaterials

Donald Reese, B.S.
Sponsor: John W. Harmon, M.D.
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Strengthening Barriers: Successful strengthening of compromised skin with previously discussed novel minimally invasive approach using a Keratinocyte Growth Factor-1 plasmid