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Dermatology

Skin is the largest organ in the body and it is a barrier that protects you from germs and other dangers in the environment. But when your skin gets injured, this barrier is broken, making it easier for infections and other health risks to set in. Sometimes, wounds do not heal properly because of underlying diseases or medical conditions such as diabetes. We are working on new ways to help the skin heal faster and better, including:

  • Novel materials to promote skin regeneration: Using materials such as thermoresponsive antioxidative citrate-based polymer and mimetic synthetic melanin, we can reduce inflammation, facilitate skin cell migration and blood vessel formation to accelerate tissue repair and restoration of function.
  • Electrotherapy to promote skin regeneration: Bioelectronics offer the potential to create novel therapies to accelerate wound closure. Specifically, we are developing battery-free, wireless, biodegradable electrodes that can stimulate cell migration at the wound bed and over time create a pro-regenerative wound environment.
  • Smart monitoring: We are developing impedance and flux sensors that can sense wound healing parameters to assess wound status and connect to a laptop or smartphone, allowing doctors to track healing in real-time the time course of the healing process to ensure everything is going well. These new technologies are made possible by the development of innovative biomaterials and devices with enhanced functionalities, making skin repair safer, faster, and more effective.