LEO Foundation Visiting Researachers from the left: Clinician-scientist Daniel Jair Enriquez Vera, Analytical chemist Mariia Nesterkina and Analytical chemist Santanu Patra.
15 January 2026
Three researchers will travel across borders to advance collaborative research in skin immunology, wound therapy and psoriasis monitoring.
The LEO Foundation has awarded three new grants under its Visiting Researchers program for a total of DKK 3,5 million (465,000 EUR). The grants enable close collaboration and knowledge exchange across borders within key areas of skin research.
“With the Visiting Researchers program, we support highly focused research stays that bring complementary expertise together across institutions and countries. Together, the three Visiting Researchers address some of the major challenges in skin science,” says Anne-Marie Engel, Chief Scientific Officer at the LEO Foundation.
From Peru to Copenhagen: immune mechanisms in chronic viral skin disease
Clinician-scientist, Dr. Daniel Jair Enriquez Vera, at Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista in Peru, has been awarded DKK 2 million for a two-year research stay at the LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center at the University of Copenhagen.
His project explores chronic viral skin diseases where long-standing inflammation leads to the formation of organized immune cell structures in the skin. Using advanced imaging and molecular approaches, the research aims to better understand how these immune environments function and how they may contribute to disease progression and cancer development.
From Germany to Copenhagen: smart materials for wound care
Analytical chemist Mariia Nesterkina, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland in Germany, receives DKK 877,000 for a six-month research stay at the LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery at the University of Copenhagen.
Her research focuses on infection-sensitive nanofibers containing thermotropic liquid crystals. These materials are designed to respond to temperature changes caused by infection by changing color and releasing antibiotics, with the aim of improving wound healing and enabling visible, patient-friendly infection monitoring.
From Denmark to Germany: wearable diagnostics for psoriasis
Analytical chemist, Santanu Patra, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Technical University of Denmark, receives DKK 741,000 for a five-month research stay at the Technical University of Munich to develop a wearable microneedle patch for monitoring psoriasis.
The project integrates microneedles, microfluidics and advanced analytical assays into a single patch that samples tissue fluid and detects disease-related nucleic acids directly inside the psoriatic skin. The goal is to demonstrate real-time diagnostics and treatment monitoring with potential future applications in personalized care for inflammatory skin diseases.
About Visiting Researchers
The LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers program is an open competition program with two annual application rounds. The program is anchored in Denmark, i.e., an applicant from a Danish research institution can apply to visit a research institution abroad, or an applicant at an international research institution can apply to visit a Danish research institution. A LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers grant can be up to DKK 2 million for a research visit of minimum 3 months.
Read more here