“My research can lead to better healing of chronic wounds”

Sofie Helvig Eriksen often gets new ideas in meetings with her supervisor, but they may also come out of nothing, for example when she is cooking or crocheting. Photo: Frida Gregersen.

Name: Sofie Helvig Eriksen
Age: 28
Education: MSc in Chemical Engineering, DTU Chemical Engineering, The Danish Polymer Centre
Project research field: Chemical Engineering
Project period: 2022-2025
Supervisors: Professor Anne Ladegaard Skov (principal supervisor), DTU Chemical Engineering

My PhD project is about ...

… developing a bandage for chronic wounds that outperforms those used today. The bandage types currently used include exufiber, which is a long thread that you fill the wound with, but it is fragile and may break when removed, and often it fails to reach all the way down into the recesses of the wound. A chronic wound can be very deep and uneven.

My project is a liquid bandage poured directly into the wound. It foams up, filling the wound completely and solidifying in ten minutes. The bandage can subsequently remain in the wound for up to five days, which is good for wound healing. In fact, every time you examine a wound and change the bandage, you risk reversing the healing process. The bandage can remain in the wound for so many days because we have added acid, and the acidic nature makes it antibacterial.

The project began as the development of a solid product similar to a ‘normal’ adhesive bandage. We based the development of the bandage on our field—the use of elastomers—a special type of rubber that can be produced using, for example, silicone.

During the process, we have evaluated and examined what we could improve compared to the products on the market. This led to us from a solid adhesive bandage to a liquid bandage aimed at achieving the perfect fit for the wounds.

The research can contribute to ...

… improving treatment of patients with chronic wounds. The bandage can accelerate wound healing and thus a better experience for patients. Chronic wounds generally heal poorly and slowly.

My finished product is intended for hospitals, but, in the long term, it may also be relevant for healthcare professionals in home care who treat patients in their own homes.

It’s been a great day on the job when ...

… I get to use my skills in creative problem solving, and, fortunately, I often do. There are two of us—me and a postdoc—working on the project, and it is an equal collaboration where both parties are allowed to supplement each other.

I take a break from my work when ...

… I cycle to and from work. I have a good, long bike ride to work of almost an hour, and I recharge my mental battery while cycling. In the past, I sailed a lot and participated in sailing competitions at an elite level, so back then I recharged at sea.

I still sail when I am on holiday, so I also recharge there, or when I crochet small animals, preferably turtles. I need to do something with my hands when I listen to podcasts such.

I became a PhD researcher at DTU because ...

… three years of 'immersed playing’ with my biggest academic interests seemed like freedom and felt like the right choice for me after graduating as a Master of Science in Engineering.

I wanted to study either chemistry at the University of Copenhagen or chemical engineering at DTU, and I have never regretted my choice here in my eighth year at DTU.

As a new PhD researcher, I was surprised ...

… that research articles are not automatically correct just because they have been published. Maybe there is some information missing, or perhaps some data could have been collected better. This is what has surprised me the most, because, in the past, I thought that a publication meant a seal of approval of the contents.

The biggest challenge I experience as a PhD researcher is ...

… when your project takes a detour. To begin with, I researched artificial skin and administering medication through the skin. My aim was to create a membrane that had the same properties as skin and test the administration of medication on it, but it turned out to be too difficult. I simply lacked the necessary tools and equipment for it. So I changed my focus to the project I am working on today.

My supervisor Anne Ladegaard Skov has been really good at helping me along the right path during the process. The project is still about treatment, because this is important to me. It must be something that can make a difference for people.

In the future, I would like to work with ...

… turning my project into a start-up together with my team, which includes my supervisor Anne Ladegaard Skov and Nikolett Kis, who is the postdoc working on the project together with me. However, in the long term, I am open to taking different paths within my field, because I am a very curious person and good at immersing myself.