Research Team

Fiona is a globally recognised leader in burns research and clinical translation whose work has transformed burn care nationally and internationally. Her research spans wound healing, scar prevention, cell-based therapies, clinical innovation and long-term recovery after burn injury. As a co-inventor of RECELL®, she has successfully translated laboratory discovery into widely adopted clinical practice, improving outcomes for burn survivors worldwide. Fiona leads multidisciplinary research programs and collaborations that bring together clinicians, scientists, industry and community partners to advance evidence-based care. Her work continues to drive the Foundation’s vision of scarless healing in mind and body.

Dale is a physiotherapist and researcher with more than 30 years’ experience in burn and trauma rehabilitation. Since 1996, his work has focused on improving recovery after burn injury, with expertise in exercise therapy, inflammation and long-term outcome measurement. With recognised leadership across the sector, Dale is a former President of the Australian and New Zealand Burn Association and Co-Chair of the ANZBA-Monash Burn Registry. Through the Fiona Wood Foundation and The University of Notre Dame, he is advancing patient-centred rehabilitation informed by clinical data and the lived experience of burn survivors.

Lisa is a Research Fellow whose work advances understanding of burn recovery across clinical, psychosocial and physiological domains. With a background in clinical nursing and public health, she focuses on acute burn care, scar prevention, psychosocial recovery and the broader impacts of burn injury on burn survivors and their families. Since 2009, Lisa has conducted and coordinated research to improve evidence-based care and long-term recovery outcomes. She holds a PhD from The University of Western Australia and postgraduate qualifications in public health and biostatistics. Lisa is committed to collaborative research practice and to mentoring team members as they build skills and research capability.

Andrew is a postdoctoral researcher specialising in fibrosis, wound healing, and the cellular mechanisms underpinning scar formation. His research examines how epigenetic changes influence dermal fibroblasts, focusing on why scar-forming cells maintain a fibrotic state and how they may be redirected towards more regenerative behaviour. This work informs next-generation approaches to skin repair, including spray-on skin technology developed in collaboration with Professor Fiona Wood. Andrew also contributes to research training by supervising and mentoring students, thereby strengthening the Foundation’s translational research pipeline.

Lucy is an immunologist and researcher whose work investigates the long-term systemic impacts of burn injury on immune function. Working across the Fiona Wood Foundation, The University of Western Australia and The Kids Research Institute, she focuses on non-severe paediatric burns, examining how trauma affects innate and adaptive immunity over time. Using advanced immune profiling, Lucy studies inflammatory responses, immune exhaustion and tissue repair pathways to identify early signatures of poor recovery. Her research aims to inform tailored interventions that restore immune balance and improve long-term outcomes for burn survivors.

Blair is a postdoctoral researcher investigating the long-term physiological effects of burn injury, with expertise in immunology, platelet biology and cardiovascular risk. His research examines how non-severe burns can trigger sustained immune and platelet dysfunction, particularly in children, and how these changes may influence longer-term health. Drawing on paediatric biobank samples, clinical studies and pre-clinical models, Blair is identifying mechanisms that may inform earlier intervention and long-term monitoring. His work strengthens the evidence for care that recognises burn injury as a long-term systemic condition, beyond the physical scar.

Natalie is a neuroscientist whose research examines how burn injury affects skin, nerves and the central nervous system. With a PhD from The University of Western Australia, she brings expertise across wound healing, neuropathic pain and neurostimulation. Since joining the Fiona Wood Foundation in 2021, she has coordinated clinical studies within the Burns Unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital, working closely with clinicians, patients and industry partners. Now Laboratory Manager at the Harry Perkins Institute, Natalie brings together her strengths as a research scientist, clinical trials coordinator and laboratory manager to support high-quality translational burns research.

Graeme McLeod supports data innovation and quality improvement across burn care. With nearly a decade in the State Adult Burns Unit, he brings expertise in clinic coordination, analytics and service operations. His work applies integrated digital solutions to strategically improve clinical workflows, strengthen documentation and support efficient hospital service delivery.

Coordinates clinical research activities, supporting study delivery, participant engagement and collaboration with clinical teams.

Supports clinical and scientific research activities, contributing to study delivery, data collection and translational research.

Supports paediatric clinical research delivery through participant engagement, study coordination and data collection.

Supports paediatric clinical research through participant engagement, data collection and study administration.

Supports laboratory-based research activities, contributing to experimental workflows, sample processing and data collection.

Supports laboratory research across the Foundation’s programs, contributing to sample management, experimental procedures and data collection.

Contributes to laboratory-based research through experimental support, sample processing and day-to-day research operations.