PRETORIA - Research by a new University of Pretoria (UP) PhD graduate has led to the development of a skin replacement product that paves the way for 3D bioprinting of “natural” skin replacement products, offering an alternative to traditional skin grafts.

Dr Hafiza Parkar, a lecturer in UP’s Department of Pharmacology, received her PhD in Pharmacology from her department on 2 September 2025, during UP’s Spring Graduation season. She says her research is particularly significant for treating secondary intention wounds – those left open to heal by themselves rather than being stitched together, such as ulcers and burns.

“Creating advanced dermal substitutes that replicate human skin offers a promising solution for treating secondary intention wounds,” Dr Parkar says. “Current gold-standard treatments, such as skin grafts, are limited 

by donor availability, immune rejection, and patient comorbidities. Acellular dermal scaffolds (ADS) [cell-free skin- like structures that support healing] offer a promising alternative, where decellularisation removes cells and immunogenic components while preserving the skin’s natural extracellular matrix, reducing rejection risk. ADSs are cost-effective, and their structural integrity and versatility position them as a leading biomaterial for next- generation wound therapies.”

The ADS developed in this study, using novel decellularisation methods, showed more effective, accelerated healing insecondary intention wounds when implanted into an animal model, on its own and in combination with platelet-rich plasma. This shows great promise for the treatment of complex and chronic wounds, addressing a critical need inreconstructive medical engineering. These findings then set the stage for the development of a 3D- bioprinted ADS in atransdisciplinary research collaboration with Dr Alison Ridel from UP’s Forensic Anthropology Research Centre (FARC).

Dr Parkar added, “3D bioprinting enables us to create customisable acellular dermal scaffolds that can be tailored to thespecific size, depth and nature of each patient’s wound, and even include their own cells. This personalised approachwill enhance the efficacy of the treatment and ensure a better fit, potentially leading to faster and more efficient healing, relieving the strain on both the healthcare system and the patient.”

Eight-year journey to PhD success

Dr Parkar’s journey began in 2017, with what felt like an impossible task: creating a material that could help wounds heal without the need for a traditional skin graft, testing its effectiveness in a lab and in animal studies, and analysing the results using advanced techniques. “When my supervisor, Professor Duncan Cromarty, first suggested the idea, I laughed and thought, ‘How on earth are we going to pull this off?’” recalls Dr Parkar, who was working as a part-time lecturer while undertaking the mammoth project.

The first major blow came in 2018, when building renovations forced the relocation of multiple laboratories. Prioritisingher students’ work, Dr Parkar postponed the construction of a critical carbon dioxide machine that was central to herresearch. Then disaster struck: a fire destroyed most of the ninth floor of the Basic Medical Sciences Building, where their temporary facility was set up, setting the project back significantly.

Despite these setbacks, momentum was regained by 2019, with two-thirds of the project completed, including crucial animal studies. The final testing phase was set to continue with collaborators at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in early 2020. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

“The CSIR closed its doors to all collaborators, and it felt as though the rug had been pulled out from beneath me just asI was finding my rhythm,” Dr Parkar explains. For two years, personal and professional challenges mounted as family members fell ill, some passed away, and she herself battled illness multiple times.

Rather than surrender to circumstances, she pivoted her focus, writing articles on wound care practices for healthcarepractitioners and teaching herself how to use 3D bioprinting technology, a skill that would later prove instrumental to her career. During this time, she was also elected as the Secretary General of the South African Society for Basic andClinical Pharmacology, through the encouragement of her co-supervisor, Professor Vanessa Steenkamp, Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The biggest turning point arrived in 2022, with her permanent appointment to the Department of Pharmacology. In the same year, she was invited to take part in a mobility programme in Ireland and France, through the European Commission’s Erasmus+ grant held by UP’s Forensic Anthropology Research Centre, thanks to her bioprinting skills. This forged valuable international connections, which led to an invitation to train at the headquarters of Cellink, a prominent bioprinting company based in Sweden. The 3D bioprinting project gained momentum alongside her PhD work, supported by an encouraging new Head of Department, Professor Natalie Schellack.

Returning to her CSIR collaborations in 2023 while managing full-time lecturing responsibilities, Dr Parkar faced months of failed experiments before finally obtaining usable results. The final hurdle proved unexpected: translating eight years of work into a comprehensive document. “The perfectionist in me felt nothing was ever good enough. How could I do justice to eight years of work in a single document?”

Now Dr Parkar is graduating not only with her PhD but as a lecturer, supervisor to her first MSc student, and mentor toothers navigating similar challenges. Her research continues with 3D bioprinting technology, promising breakthroughs in translational medicine.

“This journey was never just about me,” she says. “It was about the people I needed to meet to reach the finish line, and the people who needed to meet me so I could be part of their journey.”

Her message to future researchers resonates with hard-earned wisdom: “Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain. And I can truly say, I danced my feet off.”