11 April 2025
In one of the highest-ever awarded rounds of Research Grants in open competition, the LEO Foundation’s latest round of funding sees nearly DKK 49 million (EUR 6.6 million) to 13 innovative skin research projects, continuing its commitment to pave the way for curing skin diseases.
The LEO Foundation has concluded its first call for applications for Research Grants in open competition in 2025. It attracted strong interest from researchers worldwide with a total of 69 applications submitted for scientific review. Thirteen of these have now received a grant.
Applications came from 21 countries, with particularly strong representation from Europe and North America, alongside a growing number from the Asia-Pacific region.
“We see a continued rise in applications which reflects the global research community’s increasing interest in advancing skin science, and we are proud to be able to provide support for excellent research in this area through our open competition funding program,” says Anne-Marie Engel, Chief Scientific Officer at the LEO Foundation, and continues:
“An improved understanding of the skin and its diseases is key to ultimately improving the lives of the millions of people living with skin diseases.”
Targeted treatment for skin inflammation without weakening the immune system
Among the selected projects is a study led by Principal Investigator, Professor Jean Pieters from the Biozentrum at the University of Basel in Switzerland. Awarded DKK 4 million, his research focuses on uncovering new ways to treat inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis – conditions driven by an overactive immune system, particularly involving T-cells.
While current treatments often suppress the immune system broadly – raising the risk of infections and cancer – Professor Pieters’ team has identified a specific immune pathway involved only in skin inflammation. By targeting this pathway, the project aims to develop therapies that reduce skin inflammation without compromising the body’s overall immune defense.
The research could pave the way for more precise and thus safer treatments in the future.
Personalized skin reconstruction from lab-grown tissue
Another innovative project comes from Australia, where Research Officer Kate Firipis at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research located in Fitzroy, Melbourne has received DKK 3.5 million to develop a new, personalized way to repair damaged skin. Her team will grow skin tissue in the lab using advanced stem cell and tissue engineering techniques. The lab-grown skin will include 3D-printed blood vessels made from specialized stem cells isolated from a simple blood sample.
The goal is to improve healing and appearance for patients with large, complex wounds – without the need to transplant healthy skin from other parts of the body.
Next application round in 2025
The LEO Foundation calls for applications for research projects focusing on the skin and its diseases on an ongoing basis. The next call will open 31 July 2025 with an application deadline of 11 September 2025.
The competition is open to talented skin researchers at PhD level or above from any country. The typical grant amount applied for is DKK 2–4 million for a period of 1–3 years. Researchers who would like to apply for a LEO Foundation research grant will be able to apply here.
Get an overview of current funding opportunities from the LEO Foundation here.