Writtle University College and ARU have merged. Writtle’s full range of college, degree, postgraduate and short courses will still be delivered on the Writtle campus. See our guide to finding Writtle information on this site.

St Andrew's Anglia Ruskin Research Group (StAAR)

St Andrew's Anglia Ruskin Research Group (StAAR) logo

The internationally renowned St Andrew’s Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns runs a joint Research Group with the School of Medicine and Anglia Ruskin University (StAAR).

The Centre is based at Broomfield Hospital, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Chelmsford. The plastic surgery service covers a population of 3.2 million people and the regional burns service covers a population of 9.8 million. Patients are also referred from all over the world for treatment by the Centre’s highly-trained, specialist plastic surgeons.

St Andrew's Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns logo

Since its inception with the ARU Postgraduate Medical Institute in 2012, StAAR members have published over 400 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and achieved even more presentations at both international and national levels; many of these have been awarded academic prizes or distinctions.

Example publication journals include: The Lancet, British Journal of Dermatology, British Journal of Cancer, British Journal of Surgery, Molecular Metabolism, British Journal of Anaesthesia, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, Journal of Hand Surgery, Burns.

StAAR members focus on linking laboratory sciences with clinical outcomes by actively supervising PhD/MD, NHS and School of Medicine research projects. Advances in education are supported by running postgraduate courses, publishing books and authoring book chapters.

Our people

Research Group Lead

Members

St Andrew’s Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns is one of the largest Professorial specialist centres in Europe; there are currently 27 Consultant members, as well as Research Nurses, Hand Therapists and Physiotherapists with interests in:

  • Breast and Microvascular Techniques
  • Burns and Trauma
  • Hands and Skin Cancer
  • Head, Neck, Cleft Lip and Palate

Current doctoral students

  • Isuru Perera

Previous doctoral students

  • Quentin Frew
  • Thessa Friebel
  • Alice Lapthorn

Collaboration

International and national collaboration forms an important part of the StAAR Research Group. Example collaborative project institutions include Harvard Medical School, CMC Vellore, University of Texas, British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), British Burn Association (BBA), British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH), Reconstructive Surgery Trials Network (RSTN).