His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of Sussex met scientists and clinical experts from the University of Birmingham (UoB) and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) during a recent visit to the world’s first specialist military and civilian wound research centre.
HRH visited the Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research, a ground-breaking national facility based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB), which aims to minimise the psychological and physical impact of scarring and limb loss among Armed Forces personnel injured in service and civilians wounded in terrorist attacks.
The Duke met with the UoB team behind one of the centre’s flagship research projects, which is developing new treatments to reduce scarring. The treatments, being developed by scientists at the University’s Institute of Inflammation and Ageing and College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, include a laser therapy to correct historic scars and a pro-healing protein called Decorin being developed within a new biomaterial gel for use as an anti-scarring dressing.
HRH observed veterans, seriously injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, taking part in a workshop that is part of the centre’s project piloting tailored psychosocial treatments to help them cope with life with an altered and scarred appearance.
Those taking part in the study have been recruited through The CASEVAC Club, which represents injured veterans, and the research is being carried out in partnership with the Centre for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England.