Red legs – complexities of diagnosis / Safe Innovative Debridement (SID)

Karen is Professor and Director for the Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield, Visiting Professor, Queensland University of Technology and the Royal college of Surgeons, Dublin; previous academic editor for Wounds UK. She is elected chair of the International Wound Infection Institute and the International Skin Tears Advisory Panel (Europe). Her clinical background is in orthopaedics and tissue viability. She has over 30 years’ experience in both clinical practice and in academia. She is widely published (in excess of 140 papers) and has edited 2 text books.

Barbara is Head of Pharmacy at the University of Huddersfield. She was appointed as Professor of Pharmaceutics at the University of Huddersfield in 2010. Following her first degree in Pharmacy at Queen’s University, Belfast, she registered as a pharmacist in 1990 and practised full-time in community pharmacy until joining Aston University in Birmingham in 1992 to undertake a Ph.D. Her PhD research project at Aston was in the pharmaceutics and drug delivery field, focusing on microencapsulation for delivery of biopharmaceuticals.

Following completion of her PhD studies in 1995, she was employed in various posts at Aston University, including lecturer and senior lecturer and was Director of the M.Pharm. programme prior to moving to the University of Huddersfield in 2010 as Professor of Pharmaceutics. During this time, she also became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and supervised projects on the application of e-learning technologies in Pharmacy. She was also a Medici Fellow, specialising in driving forward innovation within the university sector and hold several patents in the pharmaceutical area. She has supervised over 20 Ph.D. students and on-going research programmes focus on chrontherapeutic delivery and delivery of antimicrobials, novel excipients for drug delivery, the mechanical properties of pharmaceuticals and excipients and the development of chewing gum delivery systems.

She has a number of successful collaborations with other universities, NHS and pharmaceutical industry leading to publications and development of new products.

Jessica’s research interests lie in 3D bioprinting tissue models across multiple applications, including training and education, understanding fundamental biological processes and drug disease modelling. Recent projects involve the design and fabrication of 3D brain tumour models, full thickness human skin mimics and a simulated chronic wound model for training debriding practitioners and demonstrating the application of wound dressings.

Dr Leanne Atkin PhD MHSc RGN is a Lecturer Practitioner at University of Huddersfield additionally being Vascular Nurse Consultant at Mid Yorks NHS Trust. She completed her Masters degree in Advanced Nursing Practice 2010 and her PhD in 2017, her research focus was the treatment and management of peripheral arterial disease.

Her passions include leg ulcer management, quality agenda, peripheral arterial disease and advanced wound management. She has published over 80 articles related to lower limb ulceration, vascular diseases, wound assessment, and quality of life.

Additionally, she is an active researcher running several studies as Chief and Principal investigator and is actively involved in the ‘Legs Matter’ campaign aiming to raise patient and public awareness of lower limb conditions.