The LEO Foundation Award 2013 – Silver Award
Grantee: Dr. Muzlifah Haniffa
Amount: DKK 500,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2013
Geography: United Kingdom
Presented to Muzlifah Haniffa, Wellcome Trust Clinical Intermediate Fellow in Dermatology at the Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, UK.
Dr. Haniffa’s research focuses on dendritic cells; a type of white blood cells also present in the skin that are important in regulating immune responses against microorganisms, cancer and tolerance to self-proteins. Her research has the potential to lead to enhanced vaccination strategies against cancer, such as melanoma, and infections.
The LEO Foundation Award 2013 – Gold Award
Grantee: Dr. Onur Boyman
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2013
Geography: Switzerland
Presented to Onur Boyman, Professor, Dr. med., Senior Consultant Physician and Head of Laboratory at the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich.
Professor Boyman’s research focuses on the function of T cell subsets and different cytokines in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and other immune-mediated diseases and the treatment of melanoma. His research shows great promise both as a potential treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and as a potential cancer therapy.
The LEO Foundation Award 2012 – Silver Award
Grantee: Dr. Andrea Chiricozzi
Amount: DKK 500,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2012
Geography: Italy
Presented to skin immunology specialist Dr. Andrea Chiricozzi at the Department of Dermatology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
Chiricozzi’s research focuses on chronic skin inflammation and the pathogenic circuits underlying the formation of skin lesions, particularly in regard to psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. The award will support Chiricozzi’s on-going research into the pathogenic mechanisms in skin disorders and novel therapeutic strategies.
The LEO Foundation Award 2012 – Gold Award
Grantee: David Schrama
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2012
Geography: Austria
Presented to Assistant Professor David Schrama at the Dermatology Department at Graz Medical University, Austria.
Schrama’s research focuses on melanoma biology. His research team currently analyses the impact of genetic diversity among patients and tumours on prognosis and clinical outcome of therapies. In recent years, Schrama’s scientific work has focused on unravelling the biology of another skin cancer; the polyomavirus associated merkel cell carcinoma.
The LEO Foundation Award 2011 – Silver Award
Grantee: Dr. Charlotte Menné Bonefeld
Amount: DKK 500,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2011
Geography: Denmark
Presented to Dr. Charlotte Menné Bonefeld, a Danish immunologist with a strong interest in dermatological research.
Despite her young age, Dr. Bonefeld has already made a significant contribution to the field of dermatology. Her research achievements include novel promising findings showing down-regulation of the immune system (a process known as tolerance) when an individual is exposed repeatedly to strong allergens such as those present in hair dyes. These results give great perspectives in finding new treatments and, equally important, give novel insight into why some people become allergic and some do not.
The LEO Foundation Award 2011 – Gold Award
Grantee: Dr. Claus Johansen
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2011
Geography: Denmark
Presented to the Danish dermatological researcher Dr. Claus Johansen.
Over the years, Dr. Johansen’s research has been particularly focused on unravelling the complex network of intra-cellular signals controlling inflammatory skin disorders, particularly in psoriasis. Dr. Johansen’s work has significantly increased the current understanding of the inflammatory process in psoriasis. This knowledge is important for the future development of novel therapeutics which will ultimately provide better care for the psoriasis patients.
The LEO Foundation Award 2010 – Silver Award
Grantee: Dr. Andor Pivarcsi
Amount: DKK 500,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2010
Geography: Sweden
Presented to Dr. Andor Pivarcsi, young dermatology researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden for his investigation of the role of microRNAs (miRNA) in skin disease.
Dr.Pivarsci’s work centres on miRNAs, a class of recently discovered small RNA molecules, shown to play a critical role in controlling genes behaviour. His research is expected to contribute significantly to our understanding of the pathological mechanisms in skin diseases, such as psoriasis and cancer.
The LEO Foundation Award 2010 – Gold Award
Grantee: Dr. Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2010
Geography: Denmark
Presented to young Danish dermatology researcher and MD Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen for his important contributions to the field of skin disease and contact allergy science.
Dr. Thyssen’s research provides conclusive evidence that the Danish initiative to regulate nickel exposure, started in 1990, has succeeded in decreasing the prevalence of nickel allergy in Danish women. His findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine last year, hold global relevance and may contribute to interventions in other nations, including the US.
The LEO Foundation Award 2009 – Silver Award
Grantee: Dr. Ilkka Helanterä
Amount: DKK 500,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2009
Geography: Finland
Presented to promising young Finnish physician and scientist Ilkka Helanterä who, at age 31, has already contributed significantly to the field of transplantation nephrology, both in the laboratory and the clinic.
Following his dissertation in 2006, Dr. Helanterä continued his research at the Helsinki University Hospital nephrology clinic, where he published several clinically relevant studies focusing on viral infections after transplantation and the pathogenesis of chronic allograft nephropathy. Dr. Helanterä will undoubtedly be a significant contributor in the international nephrology field in the future.
The LEO Foundation Award 2009 – Gold Award
Grantee: Dr. Christian Vestergaard
Amount: DKK 1,000,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2009
Geography: Denmark
Presented to Danish dermatology researcher and dermatologist Dr. Christian Vestergaard, Department of Dermatology at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark.
Dr. Vestergaard is a young talented scientist with an outstanding record of internationally recognised publications, and innovative ongoing research projects within the frontier fields of skin immunology and skin cancer. The award supports and acknowledges his work, and recognises his important role – linking basic science to the understanding of clinical questions.