Heather Barnhart

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Frank Aviles is a physical therapist with over 35 years of experience in wound care, specializing in the treatment and management of chronic wounds and lymphedema. He is deeply committed to advocacy, education, and patient care.
Beyond his clinical work, Frank is active in research and publishing and co-hosts The Frank & Lizzie Show, an educational platform for wound care & lymphedema clinicians Frank is also a consultant, advisor, and/or a speaker for various industry partners in the wound care and lymphedema space.

Dr. Heather Barnhart is a nationally recognized expert in integumentary dysfunction and Director of Clinical Operations at Koya Medical.
With four board certifications and over three decades of experience, she has led at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and innovation.
A former professor at Nova Southeastern University, she is a sought-after speaker and key opinion leader whose work has influenced clinicians and organizations worldwide through research, publications, and international presentations.
Her work and leadership across professional organizations continue to shape best practices and innovation in the field.

Dr. Yadwinder Dhillon is the owner of AZ Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona, where he leads a practice dedicated to the treatment of complex and non-healing wounds. Board certified in Family Medicine, he brings 20 years of experience spanning direct patient care and clinical research in wound healing.
Dr. Dhillon is also co-owner of Ethos CRO, a contract research organization through which he has helped design and execute clinical studies advancing the evidence base for wound care therapies. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, and his dual role as clinician and investigator informs a practical, outcomes-focused approach to translating trial data into bedside decision-making.
In addition to his clinical and research work, Dr. Dhillon serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He lectures regularly to medical students and teaches residents in the clinical setting, mentoring the next generation of physicians in wound management and hyperbaric medicine.
Across two decades of practice, Dr. Dhillon has focused on advancing standards of care for patients with chronic wounds — combining rigorous clinical investigation with hands-on treatment and education. He is pleased to join his colleagues at SAWC in October.

Dr. Lucian Vlad is an Associate Professor and Director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Fellowship at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, NC. He is board-certified in Family Medicine, faculty in the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Department and has practiced full time in a tertiary wound care and hyperbaric center since 2012, with a clinical focus on limb salvage and complex chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure injuries. His academic interests span compression therapy, negative pressure wound therapy, collagen scaffolds and other advanced biologics, low-intensity laser and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and clinical nutrition in wound care, and he is an active educator and frequent national and international lecturer.
Outside clinical work his advocay work includes ABWMS (American Board of Wound Medicine & Surgery) as member of the Board of Directors, WCCC (Wound Care Collaborative Community) as Chair of the Real Word Evidence Workstream, AAWC (Association for the Advancement of Wound Care) as Co-Chair of the Education Commitee and WHS (Wound Healing Society) member of Edducation Commitee.

Dr. Stephanie Woelfel PT, DPT, CWS is an Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy and Surgery at the University of Southern California (USC). She is the Director of Clinical Physical Therapy for Hospital Outpatient at Keck Medical Center of USC.
Her wound care career has spanned over 25 years in both short and long-term acute care, skilled nursing facilities, home care and consulting. Stephanie is active in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is the current President of the APTA's Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology & Wound Management. She is also on the Board of Directors for the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) and the Post-Acute Wound & Skin Integrity Council (PAWSIC).

Dr. Heather Barnhart is a nationally recognized expert in integumentary dysfunction and Director of Clinical Operations at Koya Medical.
With four board certifications and over three decades of experience, she has led at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and innovation.
A former professor at Nova Southeastern University, she is a sought-after speaker and key opinion leader whose work has influenced clinicians and organizations worldwide through research, publications, and international presentations.
Her work and leadership across professional organizations continue to shape best practices and innovation in the field.