The Scar Free Foundation Symposium 2024
Find out what happened when we brought the brightest minds, at the cutting-edge of scar free research, together.
This October, we welcomed clinicians, researchers, and specialists from around the world to The Scar Free Foundation Symposium at the Royal Society.
Over two days, the brightest minds in the field came together for an almighty knowledge exchange, further mapping the next steps towards a scar free future.
From cutting-edge scar therapeutics, to the experiences of clinicians working under the most challenging of circumstances in Ukraine and Gaza, talks, workshops, themed sessions, and interviews, addressed the past, present, and future, of scar free healing.
After a warm welcome from Scar Free Foundation Chief Executive Lt Gen Richard Nugee, Scar Free Ambassador Lottie Pollak kicked off the Symposium with a talk: Why This Research Matters to Me.
Ambassador Dr Jaco Nel introduced the afternoon sessions with the same moving honesty, humour, and hope for the future.
Lottie and Jaco’s talks on living with scarring – the difficulties, the adaptations, the perseverance – underpinned why enabling the latest research to go from lab to patient is so vital.
This message provided the perfect backdrop to introduce our keynote speaker: globally renowned expert Professor Geoffrey Gurtner, who shared his experiences bringing research to reality, and the potential for scarless healing in humans.
Day one highlights included discussions on population-based genomics with insights from the Pelotas Cohort in Brazil, followed by ‘Learnings from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in Bristol’, insights from the Leicester Fibrosis Consortium, and sessions on 3D printing, bioengineering, and scar therapeutics.
Day two began with a focus on internal organ scarring, exploring research into molecular mechanisms and models, pointing the way to potential new therapeutic models and approaches.
This was followed by sessions on the sadly topical issue of conflict wound research, where specialists operating in active conflict zones – Ukraine and Gaza – shared their experiences.
Sessions on the mechanobiology of wounds inflicted by high velocity ballistics, and a panel on conflict wounds, offered further insight into warfare’s role in complicating injury, survival, recovery and rehabilitation.
The Symposium offered a chance to reflect on the 25 years since our foundation, and a chance to consider how much progress has been made. But fundamentally, the gathering signified a shared vision of the future – and how we get there.
As we explored what the next 25 years might look like, and showcased some of the most exciting research out there, there was a sense that together, we can achieve a scar free future.
A huge thanks to our generous sponsors PolyNovo for enabling a game-changing Symposium.
These invaluable two days forging new connections, sharing expertise, and allowing collaboration, would not have been possible without your support.
With scarring affecting millions around the world, it was a privilege to bring together experts and those with lived experience – all sharing the vision of a future without scarring.
We’re grateful to every single attendee for sharing their knowledge, and their total dedication to accelerating the momentum built over the past 25 years.
What better way could there have been to celebrate our 25th anniversary?
