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| Alumni Affairs 1996 Recipient - Charles B. Cuono, MD, PhD (Class of 1971)  Dr. Charles Cuono, professor of surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, has dedicated his professional life to the clinical care and rehabilitation of burn patients and to the pursuit of research and resources required to enhance the quality of their care. He is director of Yale Burn Center and founder and director of the Yale Skin Bank, the only skin bank in New England and part of a growing computer-linked network of 30 such centers around the world. His clinical and research interests are in biology of the skin, burn and wound healing, and reconstructive surgery of the hand and upper extremity. As director of Yale Burn Center, Dr. Cuono focuses on the healing of the whole person. His eclectic approach involves educating patients and families to participate actively in the management of their own care. Through education and encouragement, he integrates medical students, physician assistants, surgeons, nurses, nutritionists and therapists into a team committed to a common goal—the best possible care. He developed the Yale Burn Support Group as a resource for burn patients and their families. In cooperation with Yale Burn Center, New York Medical College, Bridgeport Burn Center and the Connecticut Burn Care Foundation, he helped establish the New England Burn Camp. The Yale Skin Bank, one of few university-based skin banks accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks, serves as the foundation for Dr. Cuono’s research efforts. He calls his efforts "bridge research"—basic science with an immediate clinical focus, bridging the gap between the lab bench and bed-side. It was through this type of research that Dr. Cuono developed in 1986 the Composite Auto-Allo Skin Replacement technique, the only know procedure to permanently replace skin on severely burned patients. Used successfully by Dr. Cuono on 50 severe burn patients at Yale, this technique is now in use worldwide with more than 1,000 patient success stories. Dr. Cuono graduated cum laude from Wheeling Jesuit College with a BS in biology and summa cum laude from West Virginia University School of Medicine in 1971 with an MD and a PhD in biochemistry. He also holds an MAH from Yale University. |
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