Explore our grantees and awardees

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2026

Geography: Australia

Our skin changes as we age, and one of the main reasons is that its layers gradually become stiffer, a process that is even more exaggerated in skin disease such as skin fibrosis. Surprisingly, these mechanical properties have received little attention in skin research. With new advances in mechanobiology, we now know that skin cells sense and respond to these mechanical changes. This project will create a realistic 3D human skin model using smart biomaterials that mimic the natural stiffness of each skin layer. By studying how skin cells behave in this lifelike environment over time, we aim to uncover how tissue mechanics contribute to skin health and disease. The insights gained may identify new treatment targets and support the development of “mechanotherapy”, therapies that work by gently adjusting the mechanical properties of skin to improve healing and reduce disease.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2026

Geography: Australia

Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) is a life-threatening skin reaction to certain drugs, driven by immune cells called CD8+ T cells. Our research aims to uncover why only some people are at risk by studying how specific immune receptors (TCRs) and genetic markers (HLA) interact with drugs to activate CD8+ T-cells in the skin. We have found that certain HLA markers linked to SJS/TEN share structural features and that drug-reactive TCRs come from pre-existing immune cells in the skin from past viral infections. This suggests drug reactions may involve crosstalk between drug and viral signals. We will now model these interactions in (i) patients to predict dangerous drug-HLA combinations for safer drug treatment and (ii) naïve immune cells from healthy donors to model early immune reactions and predict ‘high-risk’ drugs for safer drug development. This work could lead to new clinical and preclinical strategies to prevent SJS/TEN and reduce its global impact.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2025

Geography: Australia

Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical skin disease caused by a bacterial infection and widespread across west and central Africa. Prompt diagnosis and correct antibiotic treatment is essential to prevent the serious disability and suffering that can arise with this disease. This project will develop a simple-to-use, rapid and low-cost diagnostic test for Buruli ulcer. This test can be used by health teams working in disadvantaged rural communities across Africa to provide prompt and correct treatment to reduce the suffering caused by this disease.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2025

Geography: Australia

Skin diseases affect millions worldwide, yet research and treatment often rely on animal models that do not fully capture human biology. In this project, we will use patient-derived stem cells to grow miniature 3D models of human skin, called organoids. These living models mimic how skin develops, functions, and responds to disease, allowing us to study rare genetic conditions directly in the lab. By comparing patient organoids with genetically corrected “healthy” controls, we will uncover the biological mistakes that cause disease and identify new treatment targets. We will also test whether these organoids can predict how patients respond to therapies, offering a path toward safer and more effective medicines. This research aims to set a new standard for dermatology by reducing reliance on animal experiments, accelerating drug discovery, and improving care for people living with severe skin disorders.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2025

Geography: Australia

Autoimmune bullous disease is a condition where the patient’s immune system attacks their skin, causing painful blistering. Some patients develop blisters in the mouth, leading to difficulty eating and malnutrition or inflammation in the eye, which can cause blindness. There is no cure. Treatment involves suppressing the immune system but can lead to side effects and increased infections. Joanne Reed’s research will use new technology to investigate patient blood and skin samples left over from biopsies performed for diagnosis. The technology enables patient samples to be evaluated at an unprecedented level of detail to identify and study the immune cells and genes responsible for disease. This information will be used to develop a test that can predict patients at risk of severe symptoms to enable early intervention before permanent organ damage occurs. The detailed analysis of the disease-causing cells will also inform the development of new drugs that can specifically target these cells.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2025

Geography: Australia

Imagine living with a condition where your skin is as fragile as a butterfly’s wings, constantly blistering and tearing. This is what people with Epidermolysis Bullosa experience. Existing treatments only provide temporary relief and do not address the root causes of the condition. Wojciech Chrzanowski and his team have created tiny multifunctional robots that are solution for this debilitating disease. These robots carry simultaneously healing substances and bacteria-fighting agents. The healing substances activate different cells in the body to address the genetic issues of EB. The bacteria-fighting agents help the immune system, speed up healing, and fight infections. They also restore the skin’s natural balance, which helps prevent new blisters. These robots are delivered precisely to the damaged skin using advanced materials. This new method targets multiple aspects of the disease and offers a complete solution that is superior to current treatments, providing hope for those with EB.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2025

Geography: Australia

Using advances in stem cell and tissue engineering technologies, Kate Firipis will develop lab-grown skin tissue with 3D printed blood vessels derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (stem cells that can be created from a single blood draw) as a personalised treatment for repairing large complex wounds. Improving skin reconstruction outcomes, including, aesthetics, function, blood vessel connection and removing the need to harvest healthy patient tissue that creates a secondary wound.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2023

Geography: Australia

Sarah Dunstan’s project aims to whole-genome sequence the leprosy-causing bacteria (Mycobacterium leprae) found in specific areas of Nepal to understand disease epidemiology, transmission dynamics and persistence to improve treatment strategies.

Leprosy, a neglected tropical disease of the skin, causes severe stigmatization, long term disability and mental health issues. It is treatable and preventable yet persists among the world’s poorest and most neglected citizens. To realize the goal of a leprosy-free world we need to deepen the knowledge of the disease pathophysiology and how it spreads, and ensure effective strategies to diagnose, prevent, and cure the disease and its long-term effects. Major gaps exist in the understanding of leprosy transmission which limit the efficiency of interventions to prevent infections and achieve zero transmission.

Sarah Dunstan’s project will use whole genome sequencing of the causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, to unravel the complexities of leprosy epidemiology and persistence. The knowledge gained will also improve interventions for diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine strategies, and develop a robust framework for obtaining the zero-transmission goal in Nepal. A network of community health workers will conduct active case finding for leprosy in the community in two districts of Nepal with a high incidence of leprosy and high multidimensional poverty index (i.e., poverty in relation to health, education and living standards). Genomic epidemiology will be used to characterize subtypes of the M. leprae identified, matched to individual patients, disease transmission dynamics and drug resistance emergence. Mathematical models will inform optimized active case finding, and this will form the basis of stakeholder engagement to develop evidence-informed policy revisions in the national strategic plan for leprosy.

Grant category: Research Grants

Year: 2023

Geography: Australia

Laura Mackay’s project investigates how tissue-resident T cell (TRM) populations in skin vary in development and function across body surfaces exposed to different environmental factors.

The generation of optimal immunotherapies requires effective T cell responses. Whilst some T cells patrol the blood, a unique subset called tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells permanently exist within the tissues of the body. T cells that reside in the skin comprise distinct populations that differentially contribute to protecting the skin against disease.

The previous work of Laura Mackay and her team has demonstrated that different populations of skin-resident T cells in mice rely on separate molecular processes to function effectively. However, understanding of how human skin-resident T cells develop and control infectious insults and inflammatory disorders remains limited.

This project aims to determine skin TRM cell variation across the body, encompassing skin sites exposed to different environmental factors, such as sun exposure and hair follicle density, as well as in the context of disease. The team will seek to define the molecules that enhance skin-resident T cell function and survival, thus identifying factors that may prevent disease in healthy skin.

Overall, the aim is to generate fundamental new knowledge about the regulation of skin immunity and homeostasis. This knowledge is critical for the development of treatments and immunotherapies to harness T cell immunity for skin disorders.

Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards

Year: 2023

Geography: Australia

Dr. Laura Mackay is a Professor at The University of Melbourne in Australia.

She receives the award for her momentous work within the field of immunological memory, as she continues to build upon her own research shedding light on how tissue-resident T cells provide first-line defense against infection.

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