4 November 2024

Medical Doctor and Senior Researcher Nikolai Loft is one of this year’s LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellows. His future research will focus on optimizing psoriasis treatment through personalized approaches tailored to the individual patient’s characteristics and needs.

Can identifying why some psoriasis patients lose treatment effectiveness – and whether psoriasis treatments can prevent psoriatic arthritis (PsA) – be key to better long-term outcomes for patients?

Senior Researcher Nikolai Loft receives the LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowship to explore these questions. By examining genetic, clinical, and immunological markers, he hopes to tailor treatment plans that maintain effectiveness over time and reduce the risk of PsA. To do so, Nikolai Loft will connect Danish national registries with several bioresources.

“The goal is to develop models that can identify patients at risk of treatment failure or PsA and to fundamentally reshape the approach to psoriasis,” says Nikolai Loft and continues:

“The LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowship marks a pivotal moment for me, providing the opportunity to build my own research group at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy – Herlev and Gentofte Hospital. Here, I will ensure our work remains closely tied to clinical practice, with a strong focus on patient’s needs and desires.”

Nikolai Loft’s fellowship is granted as a part of the LEO Foundation’s Dr Abildgaard Fellowships 2024 research theme: Systems Medicine in Dermatology.

Cohort is a fundamental research resource

Nikolai Loft’s research focuses on optimizing treatments for inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis. His research career began in 2017 with an undergraduate scholarship at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Copenhagen University Hospitals. Here, he explored genetic markers that could predict treatment responses and the risk of developing psoriatic arthritis, igniting his passion for dermatological research. He continued this focus through medical school and later as a PhD fellow dedicated to improving treatments for these chronic diseases.

One of his major milestones was co-founding the Danish PSOBIO cohort in collaboration with his mentor, Professor Lone Skov. This cohort, which includes over 500 psoriasis patients receiving biologic treatments, provides a rich resource of biological data and is now forming the basis of his research.

Reducing treatment failures and healthcare costs

Nikolai Loft’s research seeks to reduce treatment failures and improve the quality of life for individuals with psoriasis. By enabling more stable and effective treatment approaches, he hopes to lower the need for switching therapies, ultimately lowering related healthcare costs. In the long term, his work to prevent PsA will help reduce the overall burden of psoriasis and its complications.

The person behind the researcher

To bring balance to his busy professional life, Nikolai Loft enjoys time with his wife, two children and friends and he stays active with runs in the local park.

As a group leader, he prioritizes fostering a supportive and dynamic environment that encourages creativity, critical thinking, and professional growth.

“I believe in the importance of balance and want to ensure that hard work and dedication go hand in hand with enjoyment and a positive atmosphere in my team,” says Nikolai Loft.