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Heather J. Cleland

M.B.B.S., F.R.A.C.S.

SPECIAL INTERESTS

Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery, Reconstructive Microsurgery, Congenital Melanocytic Naevus

EDUCATION

HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS

SOCIETIES

RESEARCH

Heather's research interests are primarily focussed on burn injury and its management.

She has been a co-investigator in clinical trials examining the effect of intravenous lignocaine and virtual reality on pain management in burn injury and co-authored several reviews relevant to the treatment of burn injury published in the Cochrane database of systematic reviews and clinical journals.

In 2008, she re-established the Skin Tissue culture laboratory at the Alfred Hospital, which is currently involved in basic research into the characteristics of skin stem cells and culturing of keratinocytes, in collaboration with the Epithelial Stem Cell Biology laboratory at Peter McCallum Hospital. She has also collaborated with the Monash Institute for Medical Research in researching the role of inflammatory cytokines in burn injuries. She is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery, Monash University, and a member of the Court of Examiners, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

She is a reviewer for the journal Burns and peer referee for the Cochrane Wounds Group. She was instrumental in establishing the Bi-national Burns Registry, a clinical registry aimed at improving the standard of burn care in Australia and New Zealand through monitoring and benchmarking outcomes in all ANZ burns units, and is a member of the steering committee for this registry.

Publications in the last 5 years:

1. Cleland HJ. Adult Domiciliary oxygen therapy. Med J Aust. Vol 83 No 9, 496, 2005. (letter) 
2. Richards AL & Cleland HJ.  Exfoliative Dermatitis, Fever & Acute Renal Failure in a 60% Burns patient: Case Report. Burns. Vol 31 (8), 1056, 2005.
3. Widjaja AB, Tran A, Cleland HJ, Leung M, Miller I. The hospital costs of treating necrotizing fasciitis. Aust NZJSurg. Vol 75 No 12, 1059, Dec 2005.
4. Mitra D, Fitzgerald M, Cameron P, Cleland H. Fluid Resuscitation in Major Burns. ANZJSurg: 76 (1), 1-4, 2006.
5. Wasiak J & Cleland HJ. How relevant and useful is the Cochrane Library to burns care and management? J Burn Care & Rehabil, 27(3), 386-393,2006.
6. Wasiak J, Bennett M & Cleland HJ. Hyperbaric oxygen as adjuvant therapy in the management of burns: Can evidence guide clinical practice? Burns. 32(5):650-2, 2006.
7. Wasiak J, Singer Y, Cleland H, Pacquola M. Nursing the minor thermal burn wound. Aust Nursing J. 13(11), 2006.
8. Paddle-Ledinek J, Nasa Z, Cleland HJ. Effect of different wound dressings on cell viability and  proliferation. Plast and Reconst Surg.  117 (7 Suppl) 110S-118S; Jun 2006. 
9. Wasiak J, Cleland H, Jeffery R. Early versus delayed enteral nutrition support for burn injuries. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD 005489. DOI: 10. 1002/14651858. CD005489.pub2.
10. Cleland HJ. Burn care in Australia. Commentary. ANZ J Surg. Vol 76: 768, 2006.
11. Pham  CT, Greenwood  J, Cleland HJ, Woodruff P. Bioengineered skin substitutes for the management of burns: a systematic review. ASERNIP-S Report No. 46. Adelaide, Australia: ASERNIP-S, August 2006.
12. Wasiak J, Cleland H, Jeffery R. Early versus late enteral nutritional support in adults with burn injury: a systematic review. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2007 Apr;20(2):75-83.
13. Cleland HJ. The modern management of burns. ADF Health. 8(1): 2-7, 2007.
14. Wasiak J, Cleland H. Lidocaine for pain relief in burn injured patients. Cochrane Databaseof Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD005622. DOI:    10.1002/14651858.CD005622.pub2.
15. Wasiak J, Cleland H. Topical negative pressure (TNP) for partial thickness burns. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD006215. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006215.pub2.
16. Lo CH, Leung M, Baillieu C, Chong EWT, & Cleland H. Trauma centre experience: Flap reconstruction of traumatic lower limb injuries. ANZJSurg  77(8): 690-4, 2007
17. Pham C, Greenwood J, Cleland H, Woodruff P, Maddern G.  Bioengineered skin   substitutes for the management of burns: a systematic review. Burns. 2007 Dec; 33(8):946-57.
18. Cleland H, Wasiak J. Too Hot for Comfort. AHRQ WebM&M [serial online]. December 2007. Available at: http://www.webmm.ahrq.gov/case.aspx?caseID=166.
19. Mahar P, Bailey M, Wasiak J, Cleland H. Clinical factors affecting mortality in elderly burn patients admitted to a burns service. Burns 34(5): 629, 2008.
20. McLean CA,  Cleland HJ, Moncrieff NJ, Barton R, de Kretser  DM &. Phillips DM.Temporal expression of activin in acute burn wounds - from inflammatory cells to fibroblasts Burns 2008.34: 50-55.
21. Spinks A, Wasiak J, Cleland HJ, Beben N, Macpherson AK. Ten-year epidemiological study of pediatric burns in Canada. J Burn Care Res 2008 29(3) 482.
22. Wasiak J, Cleland H, Campbell F. Dressings for superficial and partial thickness burns. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD002106. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002106.pub3.
23. Konstantatos  AH , Angliss M, Costello V,  Cleland HJ, Stafrace S.  Predicting the effectiveness of Virtual Reality relaxation on pain and anxiety when added to PCA Morphine in patients having burns dressings changes.  Burns 2009.35:491-499. 
24. Coombs CJ, Ek EW, Wu T, Cleland H, Leung MK. Masseteric-facial nerve coaptation - an alternative technique for facial nerve reinnervation. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2008 Oct 6. [Epub ahead of print]
25. Wasiak J, Spinks A, Ashby K, Clapperton A, Cleland H, Gabbe B. The epidemiology of burn injuries in an Australian setting. Burns 2009. (in press)
26. Danilla S, Wasiak J,Searle S, Arriagada C, Pedreros C, Cleland H, Spinks A. Methodological quality of randomised controlled trials in burns care: a systematic review. Burns 2009. (in press)