15 September 2025
MD PhD Thierry Nordmann is this year’s recipient of the LEO Foundation Award in region EMEA. He is recognized for his excellent research and innovative vision, aiming to transform the future understanding, diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
The LEO Foundation has awarded the 2025 LEO Foundation Award – Region EMEA to Thierry Nordmann, Senior Physician at the University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian, Munich, and Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried.
The award, which carries a prize of USD 100,000, was presented at the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) Annual Meeting, held in Antwerp on 10–13 September 2025.
“I am honored to receive this prestigious award,” says Thierry Nordmann.
“My team and I are passionate about science and dermatology and we will continue to perform translational research with meaningful impact for patients with inflammatory skin diseases.”
Thierry Nordmann is recognized for his pioneering research and vision to transform dermatological research and patient care through a unique integration of clinical needs, fundamental biology, and cutting-edge technology. His goal is to establish a world-leading laboratory in translational dermatology and molecular precision medicine, bridging basic science and clinical practice.
Mapping the future of dermatology
At the core of Thierry Nordmann’s research program lies the development of a multimodal inflammatory skin disease atlas. This resource is based on mass spectrometry and whole-transcriptome analyses of more than 1,000 clinically annotated skin tissue samples.
Combined with advanced artificial intelligence, this atlas has the potential to provide unprecedented opportunities for rapid and precise diagnosis, while also enabling the development of personalized therapeutic strategies guided by molecular biomarkers.
“Thierry Nordmann is an exceptional skin scientist whose research can help shaping the future of dermatology,” says Anne-Marie Engel, Chief Scientific Officer at the LEO Foundation.
“His vision, originality, clinical relevance, and leadership position him as a driving force in molecular dermatology. We’re pleased to honor him with the 2025 LEO Foundation Award – Region EMEA.”
About Thierry Nordmann
Thierry Nordmann received his MD-PhD at the University Hospital Basel, followed by medical training in dermatology at the University Hospital Zurich and the University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. He then joined the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried as a postdoctoral fellow. In 2024, he was appointed Senior Physician at the Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital Munich, and in 2025 became Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry.
About the award
The LEO Foundation Award – worth USD 100,000 – recognizes outstanding young researchers and scientists from around the world whose work represents an extraordinary contribution to skin research and has the potential to pave the way for new and improved treatments for skin diseases.
The award is given three times annually, one in each of the three regions: the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. It is granted in open competition with all award applications being evaluated by an independent and international Global Review Panel. The panel members are appointed annually by their respective dermatology societies in the three regions.