Fiona Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fiona Wood
AO FAHMS
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Wood speaking at the Microsoft Australia Imagine Cup 2012 announcement in Sydney
|
|
| Born |
Fiona Melanie Wood
2 February 1958 Yorkshire, England
|
| Citizenship | Australian |
| Occupation | Plastic surgeon |
| Known for | Spray-on skin |
| Spouse(s) | Tony Kierath |
Fiona Melanie Wood (born 2 February 1958) is an amazing Australian doctor. She is a plastic surgeon and a specialist in treating burns. Dr. Wood works in Perth, Western Australia. She leads the burns unit at Royal Perth Hospital. She also directs the Western Australia Burns Service.
Dr. Wood is famous for helping to create "spray-on skin." This special treatment helps people with severe burns heal faster. She worked with a scientist named Marie Stoner to develop it. Dr. Wood is also a professor at the University of Western Australia. She leads the Fiona Wood Foundation, which supports research.
Contents
Dr. Fiona Wood's Early Life and Education
Fiona Wood was born in Yorkshire, England, on 2 February 1958. She was the third of four children. Her father was a miner and her mother was a physical education teacher. Fiona's parents wanted their children to get a good education. Her mother helped them attend a special school.
Fiona went to Ackworth School in West Yorkshire. As a child, she loved sports. She even dreamed of becoming an Olympic sprinter! In 1978, she was one of only twelve women accepted into medical school. She studied at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London. She earned her medical degree in 1981.
A Career Helping Others
After medical school, Dr. Wood worked in hospitals in London. She then married Tony Kierath, a surgeon from Western Australia. In 1987, they moved to Perth with their first two children. Fiona continued her training in plastic surgery. She also had four more children!
In 1991, Dr. Wood became the first female plastic surgeon in Western Australia. This was a big achievement! In 1993, she started working with scientist Marie Stoner. They focused on finding better ways to treat burns. Their work helped reduce the time it took for skin to grow. It also greatly reduced scarring for burn victims.
Responding to Emergencies
In October 2002, Dr. Wood became widely known. Many people who were badly hurt in the 2002 Bali bombings came to Royal Perth Hospital. She led a team of doctors and nurses. They worked tirelessly to save 28 patients. These patients had severe burns and other serious injuries.
In 2003, she was recognized for her work. She was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Then, in 2005, she received an even bigger honor. Australian Prime Minister John Howard named her Australian of the Year. This award celebrated her amazing contributions.
In March 2007, a plane crash happened in Indonesia. Dr. Wood traveled to Yogyakarta to help. She assisted in the emergency medical care for burn patients there.
In 2022, a book about her life was released. It is called Under her Skin by Sue Williams. Dr. Wood's share of the money from the book goes to the Fiona Wood Foundation.
The Amazing "Spray-on Skin"
Dr. Wood is most famous for her invention: "spray-on skin." This special treatment helps burn patients heal. It is still being improved today. Before, growing enough skin cells for major burns took 21 days. Dr. Wood's method reduced this time to just five days!
How Spray-on Skin Works
The secret to "spray-on skin" is using thinner skin samples. These samples take less time to prepare. Dr. Wood's research showed that scarring is much less if new skin is applied within 10 days. This is because closing the wound quickly stops infections. Infections are a major cause of severe scarring. Dr. Wood's ultimate goal is "scarless woundless healing." This means healing without any scars at all.
Bringing Spray-on Skin to the World
Dr. Wood started a company called Avita Medical. This company helps make "spray-on skin" available to more people. The idea for the company began in 1992. A schoolteacher came to Royal Perth Hospital with very severe burns. Dr. Wood used new technology to save his life. She worked nights in a lab with scientist Marie Stoner.
They explored tissue engineering, which is like growing new body parts. They moved from growing sheets of skin to spraying skin cells. This made them famous around the world. The company started in 1993. Now, it can turn small skin samples into many skin cells in just five days. Surgeons in Sydney, Auckland, and Birmingham use this service. The cells can even be flown to other places and be ready the next day. Money from licensing this technology goes back into research. This research is supported by the McComb Foundation.
Some other burns surgeons had questions about "spray-on skin." They wanted to make sure it was fully tested. A clinical trial was planned in 2005 in England. This trial would help show how well the treatment worked.
In 2009, Avita Medical received US$1.45 million. This money came from the United States Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine. It helped speed up the development of their ReCell kit.
Awards and Recognition
- From 2005 to 2010, Dr. Wood was voted the most-trusted Australian. This was in a Reader's Digest poll for six years in a row.
- She is considered an Australian Living Treasure.
- In 2004, Dr. Wood 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.
- Dr. Wood was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2024 Australia Day Honours. This was for her excellent service to plastic surgery, medical research, and for being a great doctor and mentor.
