Burn injuries are among the most expensive to treat, with their healthcare costs surpassed only by the care of premature newborns and organ transplant patients. These types of wounds can also lead to significant lifelong complications, such as infections, pain, and scarring, if they are not treated properly and in a timely manner. Vulnerable populations like children and the elderly can also face additional burdens during treatment and recovery. This leaves surgeons like Division of Acute Care and Regional General Surgery Associate Professor Dr. Angela Gibson looking for effective, safe, inexpensive, and easy-to-use solutions for treating burn injuries. With a new three-year, $600,000 Collaborative Health Sciences Program award from the Wisconsin Partnership Program, Gibson and her co-project leader, Dr. Brian Pogue in the UW Department of Medical Physics, will be able to test whether an established and widely-used treatment called photodynamic therapy (PDT) could be adapted for use in burn wound care.