Dr Zlatko Kopecki

Senior Research Fellow Future Industries Institute

Mawson Lakes Campus (V2-06 )
tel +61 8 830 26384

mob +61 421 876 516
email Zlatko.Kopecki@unisa.edu.au

Available for media comment
Research Degree Supervisor

About me

wound healing
skin blistering
fibrosis
cancer
inflammation and infection

Previous NHMRC Research Fellow (2012-2015), and a Future Industries Institute Foundation Fellow (2015-2021), and a current Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation Fellow in Childhood Wound Infections (2021-2026) at UniSA. Dr Kopecki research is focused on developing novel therapeutics for wound repair and working on understanding the mechanisms involved in wound healing, scar formation and fragile skin syndromes. Research involving skin blistering diseases, tissue regeneration, skin cancer, fibrosis and wound infection, as well as industry driven research questions. Integration of different approaches and biomaterials for the development of novel wound dressings and therapeutic approaches to improve healing and combat... Read more

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Research

Research focus

Clinical Sciences
Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Oncology and Carcinogenesis
Biological Sciences
Nursing

Research

Outputs

Research since 2008 is shown below. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus

Open access indicates that an output is open access.

Highlights

Year	Output
2015	Kopecki, Z, Yang, GN, Jackson, JE, Melville, EL, Calley, MP, Murrell, DF, Darby, IA, O'Toole, EA, Samuel, MS & Cowin, A 2015, 'Cytoskeletal protein Flightless I inhibits apoptosis, enhances tumor cell invasion and promotes cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression', Oncotarget, vol. 6, no. 34, pp. 35426-36440. Open access 20 20

Chapters

Year	Output
2019	Boyle, S & Kopecki, Z 2019, 'Mechanical force and actin dynamics during cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) progression: opportunities for novel treatment modalities', Squamous Cell Carcinoma-Hallmark and treatment modalities, IntechOpen, UK, pp. 1-22. Open access 3
2016	Kopecki, Z & Cowin, AJ 2016, 'The role of actin remodelling proteins in wound healing and tissue regeneration', in V Alexandrescu (ed.), Wound healing: new insights into ancient challenges, IntechOpen, UK, ch. 6, pp. 1-22. Open access

Journal Articles

Year	Output
2021	Haidari, H, Bright, R, Garg, S, Vasilev, K, Cowin, AJ & Kopecki, Z 2021, 'Eradication of mature bacterial biofilms with concurrent improvement in chronic wound healing using silver nanoparticle hydrogel treatment', Biomedicines, vol. 9, no. 9, pp. 1-20. Open access 2 1
2021	Haidari, H, Bright, R, Strudwick, XL, Garg, S, Vasilev, K, Cowin, AJ & Kopecki, Z 2021, 'Multifunctional ultrasmall AgNP hydrogel accelerates healing of S. aureus infected wounds', Acta Biomaterialia, vol. 128, pp. 420-434. 8 7 4
2021	Haidari, H, Kopecki, Z, Sutton, AT, Garg, S, Cowin, AJ & Vasilev, K 2021, 'Ph-responsive 'smart' hydrogel for controlled delivery of silver nanoparticles to infected wounds', Antibiotics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1-15. Open access 10 6 3
2021	Kopecki, Z 2021, 'Development of next-generation antimicrobial hydrogel dressing to combat burn wound infection', Bioscience Reports: Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Cell Surface, vol. 41, no. 2, article no. BSR20203404, pp. 1-5. Open access 4 5
2021	Yang, GN, Ahangar, P, Strudwick, XL, Kopecki, Z & Cowin, AJ 2021, 'Overexpression of flii during murine embryonic development increases symmetrical division of epidermal progenitor cells', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 22, no. 15, article no. 8235, pp. 1-15. Open access 1 1 1
2020	Fenix, K, Wijesundara, DK, Cowin, AJ, Grubor-Bauk, B & Kopecki, Z 2020, 'Immunological memory in imiquimod-induced murine model of psoriasiform dermatitis', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 21, no. 19, pp. 1-13. Open access 3 2 3
2020	Haidari, H, Garg, S, Vasiliev, K, Kopecki, Z & Cowin, AJ 2020, 'Silver based wound dressings: current issues and future developments for treating bacterial infections', Wound Practice and Research, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 173-180. Open access 6
2020	Haidari, H, Kopecki, Z, Bright, R, Cowin, AJ, Garg, S, Goswami, N & Vasilev, K 2020, 'Ultrasmall AgNP-impregnated biocompatible hydrogel with highly effective biofilm elimination properties', ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, vol. 12, no. 37, pp. 41011-41025. 21 22 4
2020	Jackson, JE, Kopecki, Z, Anderson, PJ & Cowin, AJ 2020, 'In vitro analysis of the effect of Flightless I on murine tenocyte cellular functions', Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1-14. Open access 3 4 5
2020	Jackson, JE, Kopecki, Z, Anderson, PJ & Cowin, AJ 2020, 'Increasing the level of cytoskeletal protein Flightless I reduces adhesion formation in a murine digital flexor tendon model', Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, vol. 15, no. 1, article no. 362, pp. 1-14. Open access 3 2
2020	Kopecki, Z 2020, 'Tumour serine proteases C1r and C1s as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in invasive sporadic and recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa-associated cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma', British Journal of Dermatology, vol. 182, no. 3, pp. 530-531.
2020	Kopecki, Z, Has, C, Yang, G, Bruckner-Tuderman, L & Cowin, A 2020, 'Flightless I, a contributing factor to skin blistering in Kindler syndrome patients?', Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 186-189. Open access 1 1
2020	Yamada, M, Melville, E, Cowin, AJ, Prow, TW & Kopecki, Z 2020, 'Microbiopsy-based minimally invasive skin sampling for molecular analysis is acceptable to Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex patients where conventional diagnostic biopsy was refused', Skin Research and Technology, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 461-463. 1 3
2020	Yang, GN, Strudwick, XL, Bonder, C, Kopecki, Z & Cowin, AJ 2020, 'Effect of flightless I expression on epidermal stem cell niche during wound repair', Advances in Wound Care, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 161-173. Open access 7 8 1
2019	Haidari, H, Goswami, N, Bright, R, Kopecki, Z, Cowin, AJ, Garg, S & Vasilev, K 2019, 'The interplay between size and valence state on the antibacterial activity of sub-10 nm silver nanoparticles', Nanoscale Advances, vol. 1, no. 6, pp. 2365-2371. Open access 12 14 1
2019	Kennewell, T, Mashtoub, S, Howarth, G, Cowin, A & Kopecki, Z 2019, 'Antimicrobial and healing promoting properties of animal and plant oils for treatment of infected wounds', Wound Practice and Research, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 175-183. Open access
2019	Kopecki, Z, Yang, G, Treloar, S, Mashtoub, S, Howarth, G, Cummins, A & Cowin, A 2019, 'Flightless I exacerbation of inflammatory responses contributes to increased colonic damage in a mouse model of dextran sulphate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis', Scientific Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, article no. 12792, pp. 1-10. Open access 6 7 6
2019	Shi, G, Liu, T, Kopecki, Z, Cowin, A, Lee, I, Pai, J-H, Lowe, SE & Zhong, YL 2019, 'A multifunctional wearable device with fraphene/ailver nanowire nanocomposite for highly sensitive strain sensing and drug delivery', Journal of Carbon Research, vol. 5, no. 2, article no. 17, pp. 1-16. Open access 9 14
2019	Stevens, N, Cowin, A & Kopecki, Z 2019, 'Skin barrier and autoimmunity-mechanisms and novel therapeutic approaches for autoimmune blistering diseases of the skin', Frontiers in Immunology, vol. 10, article no. 1089, pp. 1-11. Open access 8 7 9
2018	Kopecki, Z, Stevens, NE, Chong, HT, Yang, GN & Cowin, AJ 2018, 'Flightless I alters the inflammatory response and autoantibody profile in an OVA-induced atopic dermatitis skin-like disease', Frontiers in Immunology, vol. 9, article no. 1833, pp. 1- 10. Open access 7 7 6
2018	Kopecki, Z, Stevens, NE, Yang, GN, Melville, E & Cowin, AJ 2018, 'Recombinant leucine-rich repeat flightless-interacting protein-1 improves healing of acute wounds through its effects on proliferation inflammation and collagen deposition', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 19, no. 7, pp. 1-12. Open access 4 5
2018	Ogunniyi, AD, Kopecki, Z, Hickey, EE, Khazandi, M, Peel, E, Belov, K, Boileau, A, Garg, S, Venter, H, Chan, WY, Hill, PB, Page, SW, Cowin, AJ & Trott, DJ 2018, 'Bioluminescent murine models of bacterial sepsis and scald wound infections for antimicrobial efficacy testing', PLoS One, vol. 13, no. 7, article no. e0200195, pp. 1-13. Open access 15 16 3
2017	Chong, H, Yang, G, Sidhu, S, Ibbetson, J, Kopecki, Z & Cowin, A 2017, 'Reducing Flightless I expression decreases severity of psoriasis in an imiquimod-induced murine model of psoriasiform dermatitis', British Journal of Dermatology, vol. 176, no.3, pp. 705–712. 9 10
2017	Haidari, H, Zhang, Q, Melville, E, Kopecki, Z, Song, Y, Cowin, AJ & Garg, S 2017, 'Development of topical delivery systems for flightless neutralizing antibody', Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 106, no. 7, pp. 1795-1804. Open access 9 12
2017	Kopecki, Z, Ogunniyi, D, Trott, D & Cowin, A 2017, 'Fighting chronic wound infection: one model at a time', Wound Practice and Research, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 6-13. 8
2016	Kopecki, Z, Ludwig, RJ & Cowin, AJ 2016, 'Cytoskeletal regulation of inflammation and its impact on skin blistering disease epidermolysis bullosa acquisita', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 17, no. 7, article no. 1116, pp. 1-13. Open access 10 10 1
2016	Yang, G, Kopecki, Z & Cowin, A 2016, 'Role of actin cytoskeleton in the regulation of epithelial cutaneous stem cells', Stem Cells and Development, vol. 25, no. 10, pp. 749-759. 4 3 1
2015	Kopecki, Z & Cowin, A 2015, 'Commentary: new advances in the development of therapies for treating inherited skin fragility disorders', Wound Practice and Research, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 184-190.
2015	Kopecki, Z, Yang, GN, Jackson, JE, Melville, EL, Calley, MP, Murrell, DF, Darby, IA, O'Toole, EA, Samuel, MS & Cowin, A 2015, 'Cytoskeletal protein Flightless I inhibits apoptosis, enhances tumor cell invasion and promotes cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression', Oncotarget, vol. 6, no. 34, pp. 35426-36440. Open access 20 20
2015	Menz, C, Parsi, MK, Adams, JR, Sideek, MA, Kopecki, Z, Cowin, AJ & Gibson, MA 2015, 'LTBP-2 has a single high-affinity binding site for FGF-2 and blocks FGF-2-induced cell proliferation', PLoS One, vol. 10, no. 8, article no. e0135577, pp. 1-18. Open access 12 12 1
2015	Sideek, MA, Teia, A, Kopecki, Z, Cowin, AJ & Gibson, MA 2015, 'Co-localization of LTBP-2 with FGF-2 in fibrotic human keloid and hypertrophic scar', Journal of Molecular Histology, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 35-45. Open access 10 16 1
2014	Chan, H, Kopecki, Z, Walters, J, Powell, B, Arkell, R & Cowin, A 2014, 'Cytoskeletal protein Flightless I differentially affects TGF-β isoform expression in both in vitro and in vivo wound models', Wound Practice and Research, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 169-181.
2014	Kopecki, Z, Yang, GN, Arkell, RM, Jackson, JE, Melville, E, Iwata, H, Ludwig, RJ, Zillikens, D, Murrell, DF & Cowin, AJ 2014, 'Flightless I over-expression impairs skin barrier development, function and recovery following skin blistering', Journal of Pathology, vol. 232, no. 5, pp. 541-552. 22 24 2
2014	Ruzehaji, N, Kopecki, Z, Melville, E, Appleby, SL, Bonder, CS, Arkell, RM, Fitridge, R & Cowin, AJ 2014, 'Attenuation of flightless I improves wound healing and enhances angiogenesis in a murine model of type 1 diabetes', Diabetologia, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 402-412. Open access 22 21 6
2014	Stevens, LJ, McKenna, S, Marty, J, Cowin, AJ & Kopecki, Z 2014, 'Understanding the outcomes of a home nursing programme for patients with epidermolysis bullosa: an Australian perspective', International Wound Journal, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 863-869. Open access 6 8
2013	Chong, HT, Kopecki, Z & Cowin, AJ 2013, 'Lifting the silver flakes: the pathogenesis and management of chronic plaque psoriasis', BioMed Research International, vol. 2013, article no. 168321, pp. 1-9. Open access 30 30 12
2013	Jackson, JE, Kopecki, Z & Cowin, AJ 2013, 'Nanotechnological advances in cutaneous medicine', Journal of Nanomaterials, vol. 2013, article no. 808234, pp. 1-8. Open access 9 10
2012	Cowin, AJ, Lei, N, Franken, L, Ruzehaji, N, Offenhäuser, C, Kopecki, Z & Murray, RZ 2012, 'Lysosomal secretion of Flightless I upon injury has the potential to alter inflammation', Communicative and Integrative Biology, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 546-549. Open access 9 3
2012	Jackson, JE, Kopecki, Z, Adams, DH & Cowin, AJ 2012, 'Flii neutralizing antibodies improve wound healing in porcine preclinical studies', Wound Repair and Regeneration, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 523-536. 28 32
2011	Kopecki, Z, Arkell, RM, Strudwick, XL, Hirose, M, Ludwig, RJ, Kern, JS, Bruckner-Tuderman, L, Zillikens, D, Murrell, DF & Cowin, AJ 2011, 'Overexpression of the Flii gene increases dermal-epidermal blistering in an autoimmune ColVII mouse model of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita', Journal of Pathology, vol. 225, no. 3, pp. 401-413. Open access 32 33
2011	Kopecki, Z, O'Neill, GM, Arkell, RM & Cowin, AJ 2011, 'Regulation of focal adhesions by Flightless I involves inhibition of paxillin phosphorylation via a Rac1-dependent pathway', Journal of Investigative Dermatology, vol. 131, no. 7, pp. 1450-1459. Open access 30 31
2009	Kopecki, Z, Arkell, R, Powell, BC & Cowin, AJ 2009, 'Flightless I Regulates Hemidesmosome Formation and Integrin-Mediated Cellular Adhesion and Migration during Wound Repair', Journal of Investigative Dermatology, vol. 129, no. 8, pp. 2031-2045. Open access 57 56
2008	Adams, DH, Strudwick, XL, Kopecki, Z, Hooper-Jones, JA, Matthaei, K I, Campbell, HD, Powell, BC & Cowin, A 2008, 'Gender specific effects on the actin-remodelling protein Flightless I and TGF-β1 contribute to impaired wound healing in aged skin', The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, vol. 40 no. 8, pp. 1555-1569. Open access 27 27
2008	Kopecki, Z & Cowin, AJ 2008, 'Flightless I: An actin-remodelling protein and an important negative regulator of wound repair', The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 1415-1419. 56 58

Reports

Year	Output
2018	Cowin, A, Strudwick, X & Kopecki, Z 2018, Assessment of biofilm solution on wound infection and healing using in-vivo preclinical models, University of South Australia, Australia.

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

Organisation	Country
Australian National University	AUSTRALIA
Brightsky Australia	AUSTRALIA
Center for cancer biologly	AUSTRALIA
Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association	AUSTRALIA
Griffith University	AUSTRALIA
John Curtin School of Medical Research	AUSTRALIA
Lancaster University	UNITED KINGDOM
Luoda Pharma Pty Ltd	AUSTRALIA
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute	AUSTRALIA
Queen Elizabeth Hospital	AUSTRALIA
Queen Mary University of London	UNITED KINGDOM
Queensland University of Technology	AUSTRALIA
RMIT University	AUSTRALIA
Royal Adelaide Hospital	AUSTRALIA
Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children	AUSTRALIA
SA Pathology	AUSTRALIA
University Medical Centre Freiburg	GERMANY
University of Adelaide	AUSTRALIA
University of Dundee	UNITED KINGDOM
University of Freiburg	GERMANY
University of London	UNITED KINGDOM
University of Lubeck	GERMANY
University of New South Wales	AUSTRALIA
University of Queensland	AUSTRALIA
University of South Australia	AUSTRALIA
University of Sydney	AUSTRALIA
Women and Children's Health Research Institute	CANADA
Women's & Children's Health Research Institute Inc	AUSTRALIA
Women's and Children's Health Network	AUSTRALIA

External engagement & recognition

Engagement/recognition	Year
Committee Member DEBRA-International	2022
Director DEBRA, Australia	2022
Committee Member Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society	2021
Best runner up - Best Literature Review Coloplast Biatain Literacy Awards	2018
Runner up - Coloplast Biatain Literary Award (Best Review Article) Wound Practice and Research Journal	2018
Vice-President Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society	2018
Flinders Foundation Community Award Leadership and Innovation in Health	2017
Invited Speaker DEBRA International Congress, NZ	2017
Invited Speaker Department of Dermatology, Uni. Lubeck Germany	2017
Tall Poppy Award Australian Institute of Policy and Science	2017
Young Tall Poppy Award (SA) Australian Institute of Policy and Science	2017
Young Investigator Award Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society	2016
Australian Representative DEBRA-International	2015
Committee Member and ECR Representative Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society	2015
Early Career Fellowships National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)	2015
National Board Director, Chair of Clinical Advisory Committee and Member, EB Services DEBRA, Australia	2015
Committee Member and ECR Representative Australasian Wound and Tissue Repair Society	2014
National Board Director, Chair of Clinical Advisory Committee and Member, EB Services DEBRA, Australia	2014
Honorary Research Fellowship Centre for Cutaneous Research, Queen Mary University of London	2013
Honorary Research Fellowship Queen Mary Uni. London, UK	2013
National Board Director, Chair of Clinical Advisory Committee and Member, EB Services DEBRA, Australia	2013
Best Early Career Researcher Oral Presentation Australian Wound and Tissue Repair Society	2012
Best poster Award European Society for Investigative Dermatology Conference	2012
Early Career Fellowships National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)	2012
Finalist, Tall Poppy Award Australian Institute of Policy and Science	2012
Honorary Research Fellowship Centre for Cutaneous Research, Queen Mary University of London	2012
Finalist, Science and Excellence Awards SA Government of South Australia	2011
Best Poster Award Australian Wound and Tissue Repair Society Research Conference	2010
Best Review Article Wound Practice and Research Journal	2010
Young Investigator Award - Finalist Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation	2010
Plenary Speaker European Society for Investigative Dermatology Conference	2009

Teaching & student supervision

Research degree supervision

Supervisions from 2010 shown

Thesis title	Student status
Alterations in bone -related gene expression pattern induced by growth and sex hormones in growing and ageing rats	Current
Development of new approaches for the treatment of infected wounds	Current
Novel approaches for treatment of infected wounds	Current
Stimuli-responsive silver nanoparticles delivery system for infected wounds	Completed
The role of Flightless I (Flii) in the healing of digital flexor tendon adhesions	Completed
The role of flightless I in epidermal stem cell division, proliferation and differentiation during development, homeostasis, wound healing and epidermolysis bullosa-cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma	Completed

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Dr Zlatko Kopecki

About me

About me

Future Industries Institute

About me

Professional Associations

Experience

Qualifications

Research

Research focus

Projects

Outputs

Highlights

Chapters

Journal Articles

Reports

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

Collaborations

External engagement & recognition

Committee Member

Director

Committee Member

Best runner up - Best Literature Review

Runner up - Coloplast Biatain Literary Award (Best Review Article)

Vice-President

Flinders Foundation Community Award

Invited Speaker

Invited Speaker

Tall Poppy Award

Young Tall Poppy Award (SA)

Young Investigator Award

Australian Representative

Committee Member and ECR Representative

Early Career Fellowships

National Board Director, Chair of Clinical Advisory Committee and Member, EB Services

Committee Member and ECR Representative

National Board Director, Chair of Clinical Advisory Committee and Member, EB Services

Honorary Research Fellowship

Honorary Research Fellowship

National Board Director, Chair of Clinical Advisory Committee and Member, EB Services

Best Early Career Researcher Oral Presentation

Best poster Award

Early Career Fellowships

Finalist, Tall Poppy Award

Honorary Research Fellowship

Finalist, Science and Excellence Awards SA

Best Poster Award

Best Review Article

Young Investigator Award - Finalist

Plenary Speaker

Teaching & student supervision

Courses and programs

Courses I teach and/or co-ordinate

Research degree supervision

Gallery