Smart Biomaterials for Improved Wound Healing

Despite extensive research efforts aimed at improving wound healing outcomes, traumatic and chronic wounds are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Current treatment options generally serve as static wound covers and therefore fail to progress these wounds through the full healing process, from hemostasis to remodeling. In the Monroe Biomaterials (MBM) Lab, we employ dynamic biomaterials to address the spectrum of healing. We have built three biomaterial platforms with varied architectures and functionalities to address specific problems that hinder healing in traumatic and chronic wounds. These dynamic wound dressing materials (1) improve wound infection surveillance, prevention, and treatment; (2) promote hemostasis and healing in traumatic wounds; and (3) enable stem cell delivery to aid in wound healing. This research spans fundamental studies on healing processes and biomaterials design while engineering new technologies that augment healing.

Dr. Mary Beth Monroe received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2013. Her dissertation research on tissue engineered vascular grafts was recognized by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Dr. Monroe conducted postdoctoral research on protein engineering for wound healing at the Texas A&M Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, which was supported by the NIH National Research Service Postdoctoral Award. Prior to starting her current position in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at Syracuse University, Dr. Monroe was a research scientist in the Biomedical Device Lab at Texas A&M, where she worked on shape memory polymer-based medical devices. Her current research on using smart materials to improve wound healing is supported by a talented team of undergraduate and graduate student researchers and by funding from NIH and DoD.