LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers

Grant category: LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers

Year: 2026

Geography: Japan

Eyelid dermatitis (ED) is a common and distressing skin condition that is difficult to diagnose due to similarity of its subtypes — allergic, irritant, and atopic ED. These may require different treatments. Misdiagnosis may lead to delayed and ineffective care. Reliable objective tests to tell them apart are lacking.
Tear fluid, collected in seconds using a small strip, is in direct contact with the inflamed eyelids and carries molecular signals reflecting the underlying disease. During my visit to Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, I will profile immune proteins called chemokines in the tear fluid of patients with different ED subtypes, using cutting-edge protein analysis technology. I will also develop a biosensor capable of identifying the ED subtype from a single tear sample at the clinic.
The expected results are the first molecular diagnostic tool for eyelid dermatitis subtyping, objective markers for monitoring treatment response, and a biosensor prototype for clinical use.

Grant category: LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers

Year: 2026

Geography: Türkiye

Behçet’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that commonly causes recurring skin and mouth lesions, significantly affecting patients’ quality of life. The reasons why the immune system becomes overactive are not fully understood. This project aims to investigate whether substances circulating in the blood of patients contribute to immune cell activation and inflammation. By comparing blood samples from patients with Behçet’s disease and healthy individuals, we will explore blood over-immune activity and effects on skin involvements. Understanding these mechanisms may help explain why some patients experience more severe or persistent disease. The findings may help identify blood-based indicators of disease activity and support the development of more targeted treatments for inflammatory diseases.