Professor Fiona Wood FRCS, FRACS, AO, Winthrop Professor School of Surgery, UWA 2005 Australian of the Year Fiona Wood has been a burns surgeon and researcher for the past 20 years and is Director of the Burns Service of Western Australia (BSWA). She is a Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Royal Perth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Co-founder of the first skin cell laboratory in WA, Winthrop Professor in the School of Surgery at The University of Western Australia, and Co-founder and Chair, of the Fiona Wood Foundation (formerly The McComb Foundation).

In 2002, Professor Fiona Wood and her team worked day and night to care for badly burned victims of the Bali bombings. It was during this time that the “spray-on skin” cell technology Dr Wood pioneered for use in treating burns victims grabbed international headlines. In recognition of her work with the Bali bombing victims Fiona was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003. That same year the Australian Medical Association bestowed upon Fiona the ‘Contribution to Medicine’ Award.

Professor Fiona Wood was named West Australian of the Year in 2004, as well as receiving nominations that same year as a National Living Treasure and Australian Citizen of the Year. Fiona was again named West Australian of the Year in 2005 and received the honour of being named Australian of the Year for 2005.

In 2005, Fiona, along with McComb Foundation co-founder Marie Stoner, won the Clunies Ross Award for their contribution to Medical Science in Australia. From 2005 to 2010, Fiona was voted Australia’s Most Trusted Person in the annual Reader’s Digest survey.

Her unwavering dedication to burns survivors, as well as her commitment to improving and continually evolving the treatment of burn injury, has earned Professor Fiona Wood a reputation as one of the world’s leading burn experts. She was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2024 for distinguished service to plastic and reconstructive surgery, to medical research, and as clinician scientist and mentor.

Fiona is married to fellow surgeon Tony Kierath and is mother to four boys and two girls.