ISTAP Welcomes Three New Regional Directors to the Board
The International Skin Tear Advisory Panel (ISTAP) is pleased to welcome Chunhong Yu, Paula De Souza Silva Freitas, and Abdulaziz Binkanan to its Board of Directors, representing Asia, Latin America (Portuguese), and the Middle East, respectively.
Following governance updates since the May 2026 Annual General Meeting and a call for nominations, the Board voted to fill these three Regional Director vacancies at a special meeting on September 15, 2026. The successful candidates joined the Board ahead of its September 30 meeting and will serve the remainder of their respective terms.
These appointments bring valuable clinical, academic, research, and leadership experience to ISTAP, strengthening our international collaboration and shared commitment to A World Without Skin Tears.
Chunhong Yu
Regional Director – Asia
Paula De Souza Silva Freitas
Regional Director – Latin America (Portuguese)
Abdulaziz Binkanan
Regional Director – Middle East
Chunhong Yu, MN, RN, PhD Candidate
Regional Director – Asia | Term ending May 2028
Chunhong brings more than 20 years of nursing experience, with expertise in burns, chronic wounds, and skin integrity. A PhD candidate in Nursing at Murdoch University, Australia, she previously served as Nurse Manager of the Burns and Chronic Wound Repair Unit at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University in China. Her work spans clinical practice, leadership, education, and research, with a strong interest in evidence-based care and international collaboration.
Paula De Souza Silva Freitas, RN, ETN, MSc, PhD
Regional Director – Latin America (Portuguese) | Term ending May 2028
Paula is a Registered Nurse and Associate Professor at the Federal University of Espírito Santo in Brazil. Her research focuses on preventing and managing skin injuries, including skin tears, and developing technologies to improve wound and stomatherapy care. She brings expertise in public health, nursing education, and translating research evidence into clinical practice.
Abdulaziz Binkanan, MSc
Regional Director – Middle East | Term ending May 2027
Abdulaziz is a senior wound care practitioner in Saudi Arabia and President of the Advanced Wound Care Association. He serves as Wound Care and In-Patient Services Manager at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital and as a senior lecturer at Princess Noura bin Abdulrahman University. His experience includes published wound care research, international speaking engagements, and initiatives supporting wound care across the region.
Please join us in warmly welcoming Chunhong, Paula, and Abdulaziz to the ISTAP Board of Directors!
We look forward to their contributions as we continue advancing skin tear prevention and management worldwide through education, research, evidence-based practice, and advocacy.
Comments