In memoriam: Associate Professor Mark Fear

Mark came to the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2003, following completion of his undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford, and PhD at the University of London. For almost twenty years, Mark worked as senior scientist at the Fiona Wood Foundation and UWA’s Burn Injury Research Unit. His vision and aptitude were instrumental in shaping and growing the group’s research programs, from basic science to clinical translation.

Mark was an accomplished and successful scientist. His primary research focus was on scar formation, fibrosis and skin regeneration after burn injury; however, his scientific interests ranged far and wide. He authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and was instrumental in obtaining multiple competitive grants and extensive philanthropic research funding. His ability to build collaborations led to numerous international partnerships in which researchers and clinicians from universities, hospitals and industry work together to progress burn and wound healing research.

However, Mark’s motivation was never just the science, it was always the care he felt for people: the patients and their families whose lives are changed in an instant by burn injury, and the next generation of researchers and clinicians who, like Mark, dedicate themselves to this field.  Mark never accepted the status quo. He believed that progress comes from asking the difficult questions, from challenging the researchers in their experiments, and from the belief that there is always a better, different way to approach our work. His courage to think differently has left a lasting imprint on all of his colleagues and students. Mark supervised and mentored dozens of research students, many of whom have gone on to leadership roles in medical science.

In commemoration of his loss, we will carry forward his work, nurturing the next generation of researchers as he did, to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible in pursuit of scarless healing. We will continue to strive for a future where no one is defined by their burn injury, but instead has the chance to recover and thrive. This is how we will honour his legacy.