Bencherif Receives KAU Grant
Chemical Engineering Assistant Professor Sidi Bencherif recently received the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology Award for his project entitled "Biomaterials for Wound Healing and Diabetic Ulcer Treatment".
Non-healing wounds caused by diabetes mellitus account for one of the most common complications of this disease leading to increased healthcare cost, decreased quality of life, infections, amputations, and death. The wide prevalence of this disease and its projected increase in the near future has further emphasized a critical need for enhancing diabetic wound healing. In collaboration with Prof. Adnan Memic et al. at King Abdulaziz University, Prof. Bencherif is teaming up to combine expertise and develop the next generation of polymeric biomaterials for wound healing and diabetic ulcer treatment. The main objective of this international research partnership is to engineer novel, bioactive dermal cryogel-based scaffolds with integrated advanced features to emulate more closely the natural tissue microenvironment, and ultimately promote wound healing. In approaching the current obstacles in diabetic wound healing, an interdisciplinary team of scientists has been assembled with expertise in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and immunology. Additionally, clinicians are also involved in this collaborative effort for testing the therapeutic potential of dermal cryogel-based scaffolds in diabetic patients
Congratulations Professor Bencherif!