Prof. Dr Hilde Beele

Hilde G. M. Beele qualified as a medical doctor from Ghent University (Belgium) in 1987. As a Research Assistant of the Belgian National Foundation for Scientific Research, she was able to gain experience in cell and tissue culture at the Department of Histology at Ghent University and in 1992 she graduated as Doctor in Biomedical Sciences at the University, with a thesis entitled: ‘Effects of serotonin on the functional morphology of skin in vitro: Role of the 5-HT2-receptor.’

During that period she was appointed medical director of the centralised Tissue Bank of Ghent University Hospital. Amongst accreditations for other cells and tissues, the Tissue Bank also possesses an accreditation for
the processing and distribution of cultured keratinocytes, which are being used in the treatment of difficult-to-heal ulcers and burn wounds. Today, Dr Beele is head of the Tissue Bank Department at Ghent University Hospital. In addition, Dr Beele was trained as a dermatologist at the Department of Dermatology at Ghent University Hospital.

In October 1993, she graduated as a dermatologist and became a staff-member in the Department. Her main functions are to supervise the in-patients at the hospitalisation Department of Dermatology and to run the ulcer clinic. Recently a multidisciplinary out-patient ulcer clinic has been formed.

In 2000 Dr Beele was appointed an Associate Professor at Ghent University, and is now especially involved in the education of wound healing and of regenerative medicine for nurses and students in medical and biomedical sciences.

Dr Sabine A. Eming

Sabine Eming, education and professional career:

04/86–11/92 Medical School, University of Cologne, Germany
09/89–11/90 Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Immunology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA, USA (Experimental work for Medical Dissertation Laboratory Director: Frank J. Dixon, MD, Ph.D.)
04/1994 Medical Dissertation Department of Internal Medicine/ Immunology, University des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany (Professor Dr. med. M. Pfreundschuh)
02/93–02/96 Postdoctoral research scientist Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Shriners Burns Institute, Harvard, Boston, USA (Director: Martin L. Yarmush, MD, Ph.D.) (Laboratory: Jeffrey R. Morgan, Ph.D.)
03/96–06/00 Residency Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Germany (Director: Professor Dr med. Dr h.c. Thomas Krieg)
04/97–2006 Group leader of research projects funded by the government
06/2000 Board Certificate in Dermatology and Venerology
01/2003 Board Certificate in Allergy
07/2004 Habilitation for Dermatology and Venerology, Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Germany
06/2005 Board Certificate in Phlebology
07/03–2006 Attending Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Germany

Professor David Leaper

David Leaper qualified from Leeds Medical School in 1970 MB ChB (with honours). Since then he trained in general surgery in Leeds, Scarborough, King’s College and Westminster Hospitals in London, including research periods as a Cancer Research Campaign Fellow and Medical Research Council Fellow. He has the Fellowship in Surgery of the Royal Colleges of Edinburgh (1974), England (1975) and Glasgow (1999) and gained the CCST in 1980. He has two higher degrees by thesis; MD (1979) and ChM (1982) and was awarded the Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons in 1998.

He was appointed Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Bristol (1981–1995) with Honorary Consultant status at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Southmead Hospital in Bristol. He was Professor of Surgery at the
University of Hong Kong (1988–1990) and at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1995–2004), now Emeritus Professor, with Visiting Chair status at Cardiff University, where he works with Keith Harding in the Wound Healing Research Unit. He has started a new wound research unit at Salisbury district Hospital in 2006.

Professor Leaper’s research interests include surgical infection and sepsis, wound healing, breast and colorectal cancer, computer-aided diagnosis and education and training. He has served as an editor for several journals and referees manuscripts for several more. He is a past president of the Surgical Infection Society of Europe and of the European Wound Management Association. He is a past Hunterian Professor and a Zachary Cope lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Professor Leaper has examined at all the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and is a past member of the Court of Examiners (1992–1998) and has examined for the Intercollegiate Fellowship (2000–2004). He was an instigator of the Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient course (CCrISP) and regularly teaches for the Royal Colleges and
several UK and overseas universities where he is also an external examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate examinations. He is a past programme director (Northern Deanery 2000–2004) and served on the Specialist Advisory Board in general surgery (2000–2005). He chairs the
Surgical Site Infection Subgroup of the steering committee on Healthcare Associated Infection.