Matthew D. Wood, PhD

Associate Professor of Surgery (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)

Washington University in St. Louis (WU)

I serve as Scientific Director of the Plastic Surgery Research Laboratories, which is a multi-investigator laboratory interested in basic science and translation in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Our research portfolio encompasses a diverse range of topics pertinent to advancing the field of Plastic Surgery and offering new treatments to these patients. My independent research program focuses on improving the surgeon’s capabilities to manage injuries and reconstruct tissue through basic studies and bioengineering approaches. My research program focuses on two major aspects within my work: (1) to understand the cells and signaling limiting tissue regeneration and (2) to then apply bioengineering approaches to overcome these limits. I am specifically focused on projects within nerve reconstruction, where my lab is funded to investigate how to improve nerve regeneration across long nerve defects.