British Society for Research on Ageing

Summary

The Wound Biology Group at the School of Dentistry, Cardiff University (www.cardiff.ac.uk/dentl) was established in 1992 as a direct result of our involvement in the management of trauma.  Over the years our research has developed and expanded through a collaboration between non-clinical academics and clinical staff and now focuses on differential wound repair at a number of anatomical sites.  The School's laboratories have recently undergone a £2M re-fit, including establishment of state-of-the-art cell culture, cell storage and imaging facilities and is currently undergoing an expansion of laboratory space with the creation of an additional research floor with associated equipment (£1.4M) as part of a further £5.3M commitment from the Healing Foundation to wound healing research in Wales.  Research within the Group has benefited from our role in the formation and success of the Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER; www.citer.org).  CITER is a cross-school network with internationally recognised expertise in basic, translational and clinical research in the field of tissue engineering and repair.  This is a consortium of established researchers with common interests and expertise in the field of tissue engineering and repair with the central aim of translating research from ‘bench to bedside'.  Key to the ongoing and continued success of research within our Group has been our development of clinical researchers through support from the Royal College of Surgeons, the Medical Research Council and the Walport Academic Clinical Fellowship and Lectureship schemes.