Dr Holly Wilkinson

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.