Burn and Surgical Research at MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Several funded research projects are ongoing in the laboratory.  Of primary interest to researchers in the lab is elucidating the pathophysiology of burn wounds at a systemic, molecular, and cellular level, as well as exploring novel methods for treatment of burn and other traumatic wounds.  One major study underway in the laboratory is examining the effectiveness of different types of antibiotics on burn wound infections.  This study not only looks at the benefits of the drugs in clearing infection and in wound healing, but also examines the systemic impacts of the bacteria on the host, as well as the immune response of the thermally injured host.  Another project examines the basic nature of electrical injuries and aims to improve the prognosis for electrically injured patients.

 

For all of the projects ongoing, the laboratory has the resources and expertise to perform molecular biological assays, mammalian cell culture and bacteriology, clinical specimen processing and analysis, as well as the development of pre-clinical models.  There is also an emphasis on the use of non-invasive imaging technologies to examine characteristics of skin and skin pathology.  In collaboration with the Biophotonics laboratory at Catholic University of America, studies are underway to examine the optical properties of burn hypertrophic scar to help improve treatment modalities for this condition.   

 

The laboratory and research program collaborate with researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, The Catholic University of America, the University of North Carolina, and Georgetown University. The research team is made up of physicians, clinical research coordinators, burn center specialists, medical students, scientists, and undergraduate students.  Together, the laboratory and its collaborators hope to provide advances in our understanding and treatment of burn injuries.