RENEW Wisconsin Lab

Research Focus

Dr. Gibson’s RENEW (Regeneration, Engineering, and Novel Epidermal Wound-healing) Wisconsin Lab conducts research in three primary areas: (1) the burn wound microenvironment and healing prognosis; (2) human and comparative models for wound healing research; and (3) novel technologies for wound healing.

As a surgeon-scientist who is trained in burn surgery and the cellular and molecular biology of wound healing, Dr. Gibson continues to be fascinated by the human response to injury and wound healing. Her involvement in multiple clinical trials of skin substitutes has highlighted a gap in knowledge in the field of burn surgery on the role of autologous regeneration in human burn wound healing. Specifically, the RENEW Wisconsin Lab is interested in the minimal cellular elements and wound environmental conditions necessary for autologous regeneration to proceed in a normal fashion.

The RENEW Wisconsin Lab aims to conduct translational wound healing research with a focus on making clinical advancements for patients with burn injury. The long-term goal of the RENEW Wisconsin Lab is to identify the basic cellular and micro-environmental requirements for autologous burn wound regeneration in humans in order to aid development of technologies and biologic products that will improve morbidity and mortality in burn injury.