Despite major advances in medicine, wound care has changed little in a century. This research explores how natural electrical signals in injured skin guide healing. By developing devices that mimic these signals, scientists aim to accelerate recovery and improve treatment for chronic wounds through bioelectric control of cellular behaviour.

Healing depends on a balance between extracellular matrix stiffness and cellular recycling through autophagy. This research shows that disrupted balance leads to chronic wounds or fibrotic scarring. By engineering materials with tunable stiffness, the work reveals how cells “sense” their environment, opening new paths to guide healthier wound healing.

My research develops smart polymer wound dressings that detect infections in chronic wounds through a visible color change. By providing immediate, non-invasive alerts, these materials enable faster treatment, reduce hospitalizations and amputations, and improve outcomes for people with diabetes and chronic wound conditions.