Fiona Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fiona Wood
AO FAHMS
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Wood speaking at the Microsoft Australia Imagine Cup 2012 announcement in Sydney
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| Born |
Fiona Melanie Wood
2 February 1958 Yorkshire, England
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| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Plastic surgeon |
| Known for | Spray-on skin |
| Spouse(s) | Tony Kierath |
Fiona Wood (born 2 February 1958) is a famous Australian plastic surgeon. She is an expert in treating burns. Dr. Wood works in Perth, Western Australia. She leads the burns unit at Royal Perth Hospital. She also developed a special treatment called spray-on skin with Marie Stoner. Dr. Wood is a professor at the University of Western Australia. She also leads the Fiona Wood Foundation.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fiona Wood was born in Yorkshire, England, on February 2, 1958. As a child, she was very athletic. She dreamed of becoming an Olympic sprinter. Later, she decided to study medicine. She went to St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London. She finished her studies there in 1981.
Dr. Wood's Career and Discoveries
After medical school, Dr. Wood worked in London. She worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Then she moved to Queen Victoria Hospital. In 1987, she moved to Perth, Australia. She moved with her husband, Tony Kierath, and their first two children. She finished her training as a plastic surgeon. She did this while raising four more children.
In 1991, Dr. Wood made history. She became the first female plastic surgeon in Western Australia. In 1993, she started working with scientist Marie Stoner. They focused on treating severe burns. Their work helped reduce the time needed to grow new skin. It also greatly reduced scarring for burn patients.
Helping Bali Bombing Survivors
In October 2002, a terrible event happened. Many people were hurt in the 2002 Bali bombings. The most seriously injured survivors came to Royal Perth Hospital. Dr. Wood led a team of doctors. They worked hard to save 28 patients. These patients had severe burns. They also faced dangerous infections. Dr. Wood's team helped them recover.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Wood has received many honors.
- In 2003, she became a Member of the Order of Australia.
- In 2005, she was named Australian of the Year. The Prime Minister, John Howard, gave her this award.
- In March 2007, she traveled to Yogyakarta. She helped burn patients after a plane crash.
- From 2005 to 2010, she was voted the most-trusted Australian. This was in a Reader's Digest poll.
- She is known as an Australian Living Treasure.
- In 2004, she won the Western Australia Citizen of the Year award. This was for her work in burns research.
- In 2015, she became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
- In 2024, she was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia. This was for her great work in plastic surgery and research.
In 2022, a book about her life was released. It is called Under her Skin by Sue Williams. Dr. Wood's share of the book's profits goes to the Fiona Wood Foundation.
How Spray-on Skin Works
Dr. Wood is famous for her invention: spray-on skin. This treatment helps burn patients heal faster. Before, growing enough skin cells took 21 days. Dr. Wood's method reduced this time to just five days. She found that thinner skin worked best. This skin took less time to prepare.
She discovered that quick healing reduces scarring. If new skin is added within 10 days, scarring is much less. This is because closing the wound quickly stops infections. Infections are a main cause of severe scars. Dr. Wood's main goal is "scarless woundless healing." This means healing without any scars or wounds left behind.
Dr. Wood started a company called Avita Medical. This company helps make spray-on skin available. The idea came after a teacher had severe burns in 1992. Dr. Wood worked with scientist Marie Stoner. They worked at night in a lab. They learned how to grow skin cells. They moved from growing skin sheets to spraying skin cells. This made them famous worldwide.
The company started in 1993. It can grow skin cells from a small sample. These cells can be ready in five days. Surgeons in other cities use this service. The cells can be flown to them quickly. Money from this work goes back into research. This research is done by the McComb Foundation.
