Over the past several years, Iceland has emerged as a vibrant medical and scientific innovation center, with Kerecis at the forefront of wound healing and tissue repair.
The Arctic Midnight Sun Surgical Workshop is the leading scientific workshop for advancing the knowledge of the utility of fish skin grafts for managing surgical wounds and burn injuries. The scientific workshop entry is competition-based. The exchange of ideas is fostered between all attendees during this exclusive small-capacity workshop, where attendees present their findings.
Process:
1. Follow the registration link on this site to apply for your chance to participate in the Aurora Award competition (see eligibility requirements below)
2. Once you have received confirmation of your eligibility, Kerecis will provide you with a template and instructions for your case(s) submission.
3. A committee of experts in the surgical field will conduct a blind-review and score all case report submissions. Case submissions are ranked based on scientific value, completeness, novelty, and clinical relevance.
4. Only the highest-scoring cases will win an Aurora Award and be admitted to the scientific workshop to present their winning case.
This workshop takes place in June 2025 in Reykjavik, Iceland
Download the Arctic Midnight Sun Scientific Workshop Advertisement Flyer
The Arctic Midnight Sun Surgical Workshop allows eligible providers to exchange clinical application techniques for the educational advancement of the use of fish skin grafts.
Medical professionals are eligible if the following specialty and procedures are relevant to their practice:
Residents are eligible to submit for the resident award. Residents selected as winners will receive an educational grant to attend a national conference in their home country.
Scientific workshop attendees must actively participate in the entire symposium, discussions, and provide active feedback by answering follow-up questions.
Kerecis covers standard-fare air travel, meals, and lodging for attendees for the duration of the workshop. Travel must be booked by Kerecis; self-booked travel arrangements will not be reimbursed. Kerecis does not pay for family members and/or spouses.
Government employees are not allowed to participate in this event.
Kerecis will only cover the cost of selected eligible attendees for educational benefits.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at medaffairs@kerecis.com
This scientific workshop focuses on new developments in the OR, burn, and trauma use of the Kerecis fish-skin technology and explores new developments in regenerative therapies. It offers a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with providers from around the globe and also a chance to interact and provide input to the Kerecis science and development team.
“The Arctic Midnight Sun Surgical Workshop represents the very edge of medical advancements in regenerative surgical and burn treatment. During the workshop we will showcase, share, and discuss various approaches and results that support the ever-expanding use of our medical fish-skin. I look forward to meaningful contributions of all participants from around the world.”
Aurora Awards: Surgical and Burn Cases
Case Series will be blindly reviewed by an external review committee.
Notifications of decisions will be sent out early 2025.
Rifat Latifi, MD, FACS, FKCS, FICS is a trauma and general surgeon and a Chairman of Surgery Consultants International LLC, Tucson, Arizona. He is an adjunct professor of surgery at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona and former Chairman and tenured Professor of Surgery at New York Medical College, School of Medicine, and Director of the Department of Surgery at Westchester Medical Center Health Network in Valhalla, New York. He is Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Fellow of International College of Surgeons (ICS), and of a Fellow and founding President of Kosova College of Surgeons (KCS) (www.koscs.org) and Editor-in-Chief of the Kosova Journal of Surgery. He is also an editor of Surgical Technology International.
Dr. Matthew Endara is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He obtained his medical degree from Northwestern University’s Feinburg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.. During his residency Dr. Endara earned him formal recognition through awards including recognition for his outstanding performance in wound care and limb reconstruction
Dr. Endara has authored and co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications and has presented his research at several national meetings covering a variety of topics in the field of plastic surgery.
Dr. Endara became one of the busiest reconstructive breast surgeons in Chicago, IL. He now continues his work serving a variety of patient’s reconstructive needs in Middle Tennessee.
Dr. Rajiv Sood, M.D., FACS, is a distinguished reconstructive plastic surgeon who joined the Joseph M.
Still Burn Centers in January 2023 and currently serves as the Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Services.
Dr. Sood completed his general surgery residency at Temple University and a plastic surgery residency at the
Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He went on to complete a hand, nerve and microsurgical fellowship at Johns
Hopkins Hospital’s Raymond Curtis Hand Center.
After his training, Dr. Sood joined the Indiana University School of Medicine faculty and became a member of
University Plastic Surgeons, where he eventually served as the Chairman of Plastic Surgery and Program Director
for four years. He also recently served as the Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Services for the Burn and
Reconstructive Centers of America for two years before taking on the same role for the JMS network of burn centers.
Known through the United States and internationally for his research interests, Dr. Sood has earned a reputation as an investigator and leader in research and clinical experience for emerging technologies in skin replacement. He has also been awarded multiple grants, written more 60 articles and 16 book chapters, and edited and co-authored the 2006 book, “Burn Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.”
Dr. Sood has presented more than 250 papers regionally, nationally and internationally and has led teams of burn staff on international medical mission trips to El Salvador and Kenya to provide care to impoverished pediatric and adult burn patients and to breast cancer survivors. His primary interests include acute and reconstructive burn surgery, treatment of acute and chronic wounds, and management of other skin disorders.
