About the Institute

The Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention (ISIaIP) within the School of Human and Health Sciences at The University of Huddersfield is a world-leading centre in the field of skin integrity and wound care research. Comprising of a multi-disciplinary international team of experts within the field of wound care research, our vision is to provide translational research through a “bench to bedside” approach, entrenched in scientifically rigorous methods with a clinical focus that has real world impacts on patient care. The ISIaIP is represented on regional, national and international bodies (such as NICE and NHS England) and contributes towards the development of policies and health system improvements and has close connections to industry leaders and health care providers. As well as undertaking contract and consultancy research with industry, we also deliver high quality education; training the next generation of health care practitioners, scientists, engineers and product designers.

The management of chronic wounds is an important area of healthcare and in the UK lower limb wounds are estimated to effect 4.5% of the population with an estimated increase to 12% per year. In the Netherlands, wound care costs approximately £1.5. whilst in the UK, wound care costs an estimated £530 million per year (5% of the total NHS England budget). In the USA, 2.5 million patients suffer from hospital-acquired PUs (HAPUs) costing approximately $26.8 billion per year. In the UK, the costs of treating related Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs), particularly surgical site infections (SSIs), has been estimated to represent a further £1bn.

The cost of wound care incorporates not only the physical management of the wound itself, but also the significant clinical nursing time; wound care is complex and often involves multidisciplinary teams working together to provide optimum patient care. The rise of resistant and emergent organisms and the overreliance of antibiotics is another clinical area of concern, particularly with the focus on antimicrobial resistance, which is thought to be responsible for almost 700,000 deaths each year globally with the potential to increase to an estimated 10 million lives each year by 2050.

The aim of the ISIaIP is to promote a fully integrated and coordinated applied science approach to research that can be applied in clinical practice focusing on some of the most fundamental and important aspects of wound care including;

• Cell biology
• Advanced Healthcare Materials
• Bio-metrology
• Data Analytics
• Tissue Viability
• Infection Prevention