Dr Holly Wilkinson

Post Nominals	BSc(hons) MRes PhD FHEA
Biography	I undertook my BSc (hons) in Zoology and MRes in Biological Sciences at The University of Manchester. During my MRes, I developed an avid interest in research. This led to me becoming a KTP associate at The University of Manchester, developing wound models to test the efficacy of commercial antimicrobial products. Shortly following my KTP, I accepted a Medical Research Council funded PhD studentship in the area of wound healing at The University of Hull where I received no corrections. I then continued my research at post-doctoral level in the Hull York Medical School, and accepted a Lectureship in 2020. Throughout my career I have received numerous awards for my outstanding work and achievements, and I have published a number of high impact publications in the field of skin and wound biology and microbiology. My research aims to determine the cellular and molecular correlates of pathological wound repair in the elderly and diabetic. My current projects with Diabetes UK and the British Skin Foundation are focused on understanding why senescent ("zombie") cells cause poor wound healing, and developing treatments to eliminate these cells to restore normal skin repair. My work with the National Biofilms Innovation Centre is to develop selective antimicrobial therapies for skin and wound infections. I am also involved in a number of research projects with industry partners as I strongly believe that academic/commercial collaboration is key to driving impactful research that will lead to patient benefit.
Research Interests	I have a number of major areas of interest, all with the aim of tackling chronic non-healing wounds. These include: Determining the mechanistic drivers of senescence in poor wound healing. Understanding the role of endogenous metals in diabetes, ageing and skin repair. Developing novel methods and treatment modalities to tackle wound biofilm infection. To address the above aims, my research group uses a range of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo wound models and cutting-edge methodologies (e.g. RNA-Seq, ptychographic imaging, metagenomics) alongside standard histological and biochemical assays.
Teaching and Learning	Undergraduate - BSc Biomedical Sciences Professional and Research Skills for Biomedical Scientists Independent Research Project Postgraduate - MSc Biomedical Sciences Research Methods in Biomedical Sciences Independent Research Project Postgraduate - MSc Pharmacology and Drug Development Foundations in Pharmacology Practical Research Skills in Pharmacology Independent Research Project - Module Lead Postgraduate - MSc in Physician Associate Studies Foundations in Pharmacology
Scopus Author ID	57194697804
PhD Supervision Availability	Yes
PhD Topics	Dr Wilkinson welcomes applications from students who want to undertake an MSc by Research or PhD within the Hull York Medical School. The overarching goal of my group is to understand why chronic wounds in the elderly and diabetic fail to heal so we can develop new and effective therapies. Our major areas of interest include cellular senescence, diabetes, metals, the microbiome and wound infection. Please get in touch to discuss potential projects/opportunities: h.n.wilkinson@hull.ac.uk Current PhD Students: Lauren Colborn - University of Hull Scholarship (2023-2027) Alice Fearn - University of Hull Scholarship (2023-2027) George Siskakis - NBIC/Hull Studentship (2023-2027) Alice Cannon - Industry-funded Studentship (2023-2027) Danos Papapostolou - NBIC/BBSRC Studentship (2023-2027) Xuanyuan Zhang - University of Hull Scholarship (2022-2026) Paisleigh Smythe - British Skin Foundation Studentship (2022-2026) Alexander Johns - Diabetes UK Studentship (2021-2025) Nina Dias Coelho Rocha - University of Hull Scholarship (2021-2025) Quentin Rodriguez-Barucg - University of Hull Scholarship (2020-2024) Completed PhD Students: Amber Stafford - University of Hull Scholarship (2018-2023) Daniel Hardy - University of Hull Scholarship (2017-2021) Completed MSc by Research Students: Alice Fearn (2021-2023)