Johan Junker

The loss or failure of tissues and organs encompasses most of modern health care. In the context of plastic surgery, the skin (including the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissues) is our main focus. Many wounds fail to heal by themselves, either simply due to large wound size, or due to a combination of underlying factors (poor vascularization, infection, etc).
My research aims at increasing our understanding of the wound healing process, and using this knowledge to create new therapeutic modalities. The research is translational, meaning it spans from basic biology to clinical implementation. Studying wound healing with such a broad approach requires a diverse set of methodologies, including transcriptomics, proteomics, histology, immunohistochemistry and more. Another enabling aspect is the wide range of model systems used, from in vitro and ex vivo to large animal models and humans.
In the context of traumatic injuries, both in civilian and military contexts, my research also aims at evaluating various clinical interventions as well as optimal ways of training using simulators of traumatic injury.