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Nanoengineered seaweed for scarless skin regeneration

06 January 2022 18:30 - 19:30

The Royal Society Rising Star Africa Prize 2021 given by Dr Nowsheen Goonoo.

Type 2 diabetes is a worldwide issue leading to major complications such as diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The lifetime risk of developing diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is 15% and patients have a 75% mortality rate if DFU is combined with nephropathy. In Africa, approximately 2.4 million diabetics suffer from DFUs. The main common forms of DFU treatment is surgical debridement, dressings and antibiotics therapy. DFUs add significantly to the economic burden of a country due to ulcer management, slow healing which leads to prolonged admissions and surgical interventions. As a result, there is an urgent need to reduce the healing time of DFUs, thereby reducing the number of hospital admissions and amputation rates. 

Difficulties in repairing wounds related to DFUs are mainly due to wound infection, lack of extracellular matrix (ECM), and insufficient blood supply in the affected area. Current commercial products for the treatment of DFUs are very expensive and find limited applications on the African continent. In her lecture, Dr Goonoo will share her experiences on the transformation of seaweeds into affordable nanofiber-based wound dressings to promote scarless and accelerated wound healing.

Attending the event

  • This lecture will take place online as a Zoom webinar on 6 January at 6.30pm GMT. This event will be recorded (including the live Q&A) and the recording will be available on YouTube soon after the event. 
  • The event is free to join. Advance registration is essential.
  • Live subtitles will be available.

The award

The Royal Society Rising Star Africa Prize is to recognise early-career research scientists based in Africa who are making an innovative contribution to the physical, mathematical and engineering sciences. The prize was established in memory of Paul O’Brien FRS and his work encouraging excellence in science and education in Africa. Winners will receive a grant of £14,000 to support their research and a personal gift of £1,000.

Enquiries: contact the Events team.