Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

18 September 2025

3-minute read

Dr Hafiza Parkar, a lecturer at University of Pretoria’s Department of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Health Sciences, has pioneered a new approach to healing severe wounds such as ulcers and burns through 3D bioprinting, developing a skin replacement product that could revolutionise wound care. Instead of relying on painful and limited skin grafts, her research introduces “natural” skin replacement products known as acellular dermal scaffolds (ADS). These scaffolds are customised to a patient’s specific wound, reduce the risk of rejection, and allow for more effective healing.

Growing up in Cape Town, Dr Hafiza Parkar moved to Pretoria with her parents where she studied biomedicine and did her post-graduate studies at the University of Pretoria. Her passion for wound care came about when she validated a plant in wound healing and realized the supreme power of Allah Ta’ala in making “the process work and happen.”

The starting point of her research journey began in 2017 with her PhD. A fire in 2018 at the medical building when she was working as a junior researcher led to some setbacks as her team no longer had a space to work in. Dr Hafiza and her team managed to move to another building where “Alhamdulillah, it just came together,” she says.

Her PHD research has led first to the creation of acellular dermal scaffolds (ADS) where living cells from donated skin are carefully cleaned up – a safe, cost-effective alternative to skin grafts that supports healing. When the cells are removed, it reduces the risk of rejection in difficult wounds like burns and ulcers. The skin that’s left behind acts like a natural framework to help the body grow new, natural tissue to speed up healing of wounds.

The second innovation that she developed is the 3-D bio-printing machine to print the skins instead of decellularizing donated skins. Using the ADS to get an anatomical blueprint, she then used natural products to print the scaffold using 3-dimensional bioprinting technology. Although still in the early stages of development, this innovation paves the way for 3D bioprinting of personalised skin substitutes, tailored to each patient’s needs, instead of relying on donated skin.

With exciting results thus far in 3 clinical lab studies, the team’s last hurdle is awaiting regulatory approval before being used on patients.

Both approaches are aimed at reducing infection and supporting healing, thereby offering hope for patients who require wound care for complex wounds.

The greatest lesson she’s learnt is that “there’s khair in delay.” Had she not trusted the plan of Allah Ta’ala, Dr Parkar says that it wouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t easy to stay motivated, but she had the support of her husband, her friends and family, her HOD’s, the faculty at UP, and the support staff at the lab. “If it’s meant for you, it will not miss you; just keep going!” she concluded.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Dr Hafiza Parkar.