An international "healing collaborative" involving medical schools in the United States and United Kingdom ¯ originally announced in a press release on February 7, 2007 ¯ has been officially launched, with the goal of developing novel Trans-Atlantic research, educational and clinical opportunities.
The collaborative is being formed by medical professors at Cardiff University School of Medicine in Cardiff, Wales, and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago. Spearheading the international program are David G. Armstrong, DPM, PhD, Professor of Surgery, Chair of Research and Associate Dean of the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University, and Keith Harding, MB, MRCGP, FRCS, head of the Department of Wound Healing at Cardiff University and Clinical Director for Wound Healing at the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust. The collaborative will focus on issues relating to diabetic foot and wound healing research and care.
"We hope to create a new level of international cooperation and to help break down therapeutic obstacles that frequently exist between medical communities in different countries and continents," Dr. Armstrong said. "Our goal is to expand the collaborative to include other medical schools and research facilities in other parts of the world."
The international collaborative was launched March 21, 2007, at a meeting of physicians and worldwide thought leaders in conjunction with DFCon 07 (www.dfcon.com), the diabetic foot global conference held at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. Dr. Armstrong is co-chair of DFCon; DFCon 07 runs March 22-24. This international conference is attracting participants from 30 countries on five continents.
Dr. Harding is the author of more than 250 papers and several books on wound healing. He has been president of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and president of the European Tissue Repair Society. Dr. Armstrong is director of the Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research (CLEAR) at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. He and his group at CLEAR have published over 200 peer-reviewed research papers in more than two dozen scholarly medical journals as well as two dozen book chapters. He has been selected to serve in numerous international positions in diabetic foot and wound care and is an influential voice in this area, worldwide.
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is located at 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, and encompasses Chicago Medical School, College of Health Professions, Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Visit at www.rosalindfranklin.edu and www.lifeindiscovery.com. For more information about CLEAR, visit www.diabetic-foot.net.