In keeping with the mission and vision of Johns Hopkins Medicine, laboratory, clinical and translational research are all a key focus for the Johns Hopkins Burn Center. The purpose of Burn Center research is to study methods and techniques that may improve patient care, promote patient safety, and reduce morbidity and mortality in the burn patient population. The Burn Center publishes its findings in many peer-reviewed journals and is invited to present at various local, regional and national conferences each year.

Currently, the Burn Center is involved in multiple clinical research collaborations with many disciplines within the institution, including infection control, patient safety, anesthesiology and critical care, nursing, rehabilitation services, pharmacology, psychology, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, pastoral care, and of course, the physician and fellowship staff. The Burn Center also participates in various government- and industry-sponsored phase I, II and III clinical research trials. Basic scientific research is conducted in the Michael D. Hendrix Burn Research Laboratory, which actively studies the nonhealing wound environment at the cellular level and in animal models in order to improve burn wound healing.