Fiona Wood

Fiona Wood
Life@Microsoft Australia · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Fiona Wood
Birth date	1958
Birth place	England
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Known for	Development of spray-on skin, burn treatment
Awards	Australian of the Year, Order of Australia

Fiona Wood

Fiona Wood is a British-born Australian plastic and reconstructive surgeon noted for innovations in burn treatment and skin regeneration. She led clinical and translational work at burn centres and research institutes linking surgery, tissue engineering, and clinical care. Wood became widely recognized following major burn disasters and through public honours from Australian and international institutions.

Early life and education

Wood was born in England and completed early schooling before migrating to Australia and later returning to the United Kingdom for medical training. She studied medicine at the University of Western Australia and undertook surgical training that included placements at teaching hospitals associated with Royal Perth Hospital and other tertiary centres. Wood pursued postgraduate qualifications in plastic and reconstructive surgery, gaining fellowship status with surgical colleges including the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. During this period she engaged with research groups at universities and academic hospitals aligned with clinical specialties such as burn care and wound healing.

Medical career and research

Wood established a clinical practice and research program focused on acute burn care, reconstructive surgery, and tissue engineering at facilities linked to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and other metropolitan centres in Western Australia. She led multidisciplinary teams comprising surgeons, dermatologists, biomedical scientists, and allied health professionals collaborating with organisations such as the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research and university departments of surgery. Her group combined laboratory studies of keratinocytes and skin graft biology with clinical trials and registry data from regional burn services. Wood also worked with biotechnology companies and hospital innovation units to translate laboratory methods into operating theatre-compatible technologies, often engaging with regulatory pathways overseen by agencies like the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Contributions to burn treatment and spray-on skin

Wood is best known for co-developing a technique popularly referred to as "spray-on skin," a cell-based therapy designed to accelerate epithelial coverage of large burn wounds. The method involved harvesting a small biopsy of uninjured epidermis, expanding autologous keratinocytes in a laboratory setting, and delivering these cells suspended in a carrier to wounds using a spray applicator developed through partnerships with biomedical engineers and industry. This innovation followed earlier work in cultured epithelial autografts and intersected with research from groups studying mesenchymal cells, growth factors, and scaffold materials at institutions such as the University of Western Australia, St John of God Hospital, and international centres of burn research. The spray delivery system aimed to reduce donor-site morbidity and to improve outcomes after mass-casualty events, notably when employed in response to the Bali bombings and other large-scale incidents requiring rapid expansion of burn-care capacity. Clinical reports and audits compared spray-on skin outcomes with conventional split-thickness skin grafting and cultured epidermal sheets, citing variables such as graft take, scarring, infection rates, and rehabilitation timelines. Her work stimulated subsequent studies in cell suspension therapies, regenerative medicine companies, and surgical protocols used by burn units affiliated with organisations like the International Society for Burn Injuries.

Awards and honours

Wood received national recognition including being named Australian of the Year and being appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to medicine. She was awarded fellowships and honorary degrees by universities including the University of Western Australia and received prizes from professional bodies such as the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and burn-care societies. Wood delivered named lectures at conferences hosted by organisations like the Australasian College of Dermatologists and received innovation awards from state science agencies and industry partners. Her honours also included membership of advisory boards for research councils and appointments to panels addressing disaster preparedness and clinical governance within Western Australian health networks.

Personal life and legacy

Wood's personal narrative includes migration between the United Kingdom and Australia and engagement with civic organisations, charitable foundations, and media outreach to raise awareness of burn prevention and rehabilitation. She has mentored trainees who went on to positions at tertiary hospitals and university departments, contributing to a generation of clinicians working in reconstructive and burn surgery across institutions such as Royal Perth Hospital and centres in Melbourne and Sydney. Her legacy is reflected in ongoing clinical practices that integrate cell-based therapies, in patents and translational projects with biotechnology firms, and in the incorporation of rapid epithelialisation techniques into burn-service protocols used by national health systems and international partners. Wood remains a cited figure in histories of modern burn care and regenerative surgery, appearing in discussions alongside pioneers from academic centres and professional societies.

Category:Australian surgeons Category:Plastic surgeons Category:Australian medical researchers