The Biology Olympiad (Biologiolympiaden)
Grantee: Kirsten Wøldike, Biologiolympiaden
Amount: DKK 100,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2023
Geography: Denmark
The Biology Olympiad (Biologiolympiaden) is an initiative which encourages education within biology and biotechnology. The Biology Olympiad is a Danish, nation-wide, online competition for high school students, where the 30 best students progress to the semi-final as well as a talent program – established in partnership with the University of Copenhagen (KU), Aarhus University (AU), University of Southern Denmark (SDU), and Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The talent program, which combines both theory and laboratory exercises, follows the young participants through a series of exercises within cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, ecology, genetics, and evolution. 15 students then progress to the final, and four national winners invited to participate in the international final with participants from 78 countries.
The grant for DKK 100,000 supports introductory exercises and training sessions, as well as travel andfor the four Danish winners invited to compete internationally in 2023. The international final will take place in the United Arab Emirates.
Visit the Biology Olympiad’s webpage
High5Girls
Grantee: Marianne Andersen, High5Girls
Amount: DKK 259,884
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2023
Geography: Denmark
High5Girls is a non-profit organization which works to inspire young women (ages 13-19) to take an education within the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Through camps, workshops, and hackathons, the aim is to strengthen women’s opportunities to create, think innovatively, and turn ideas into reality.
All events are free, and the focus is on solving real challenges. Mentors and role models are also women working within STEM, both from the academic world but also from within the industry.
The grant of DKK 259,884 is to help fund three STEM camps as well as three events for young women and their mothers. The project will create a safe space, where young women can learn about STEM, experiment, and learn through both successes and failures. The goal is also to strengthen the young participants’ self-esteems as well as belief in their own capabilities. Focus is placed on finding solutions for societal challenges through technology and science. Close collaboration with role models throughout hopes to provide inspiration for the young participants to choose an educational or career path within the STEM area.
YouTube influencer “Videnskabsmaria”
Grantee: Maria Jarjis
Amount: DKK 243,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2023
Geography: Denmark
Maria Jarjis is an influencer who goes by the name “Videnskabsmaria”, and has for the last six years run the YouTube channel “WTF is that?” (“WTF er det?”). Using engaging cases, Maria Jarjis fosters an awareness through her channel for the world of sciences, and she specifically targets a youthful demographic of viewers between the ages of 14-24 years – who can be challenging to reach through more the traditional media. The YouTube channel “WTF is that?” has 63,500 followers, and altogether, Maria Jarjis’ videos have been viewed over 22 million times.
The LEO Foundation’s grant of DKK 243,000 supports the production of five videos with a focus on skin and skin diseases. In the videos, Maria Jarjis will interview researchers and other experts. The videos will be released on the YouTube channel “WTF is that?” throughout 2023 and be publicly accessible to young viewers, as well as to anyone else with an interest within the area.
The LEO Foundation Award 2023 – Region Asia-Pacific
Grantee: Dr. Laura Mackay, Professor, The University of Melbourne
Amount: USD 100,000
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.
The LEO Foundation Award 2023 – Region EMEA
Grantee: Dr. Lavinia Paternoster, Associate Professor, University of Bristol
Amount: USD 100,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2023
Geography: United Kingdom
Dr. Lavinia Paternoster is Associate Professor at the University of Bristol in the UK.
She receives the award for her research pushing the boundaries of our knowledge on the genetic landscape of skin diseases. Lavinia Paternoster’s work has led to significant breakthroughs in the understanding of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and other complex human disorders.
The LEO Foundation Award 2023 – Region Americas
Grantee: Dr. William Damsky, Assistant Professor, Yale University
Amount: USD 100,000
Grant category: LEO Foundation Awards
Year: 2023
Geography: USA
Dr. William Damsky is Assistant Professor at Yale School of Medicine in the US.
He receives the award for his noteworthy contributions to the understanding of inflammatory skin diseases, as he particularly looks to expand our presently incomplete understanding of the cutaneous diseases Sarcoidosis and Granuloma Annulare (GA).
2023 ISID Travel Award Grants
Grantee: International Society for Investigative Dermatology
Amount: USD 200,000
Grant category: Research Networking
Year: 2023
Geography: USA
In connection with the inaugural ISID meeting in Japan 2023, approximately 2000 skin researchers and clinicians from around the world will be in attendance. Travel Award Grants allow young investigators to apply for a Travel Award from their region, with the potential to receive USD 2000 to cover a significant proportion of airfare, hotel and food expenses connected with attendance of ISID 2023.
About the ISID
‘The ambitious mission of the ISID is to unite all organizations of scientists dedicated to investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology with the purpose of encouraging and facilitating collaboration and to jointly sponsor and support an international, abstract driven, peer reviewed scientific meeting every 5 years.’
Confocal laser scanning microscope
Grantee: Thomas Bjarnsholt, University of Copenhagen
Amount: DKK 5,894,893
Grant category: Standalone grants
Year: 2023
Geography: Denmark
The Costerton Biofilm Center (CBC) at Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM), University of Copenhagen, is a world-leading interdisciplinary research center dedicated to exploring chronic infections caused by bacteria, including skin infections. The center runs two infrastructure facilities which are open to external users from basic, clinical, and industrial research.
There is an urgent need in the center’s Biofilm Test Facility to replace an outdated confocal laser scanning microscope which can no longer be serviced. The grant from the LEO Foundation therefore hopes to provide this upgrade, the microscope a critical tool in the CBC’s pioneering work on understanding how the ability of bacteria to form biofilm is key to addressing antimicrobial resistance and developing novel antibacterial treatments.
6th JSID Summer School (Aoba Juku)
Grantee: Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology
Amount: EUR 15,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2023
Geography: Japan
Since 2017, the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology (JSID) has held a two-day event named Aoba Juku focused on attracting young medical doctors to science. Aoba is the Japanese word for fresh green leaves, representative of the young attendees who absorb energy and who grow rapidly.
The Summer School aims to train talented and enthusiastic young doctors as dermatological researchers. To further strengthen dermatological research activity in a clinical setting, it is an indispensable event for recruiting talented doctors to the field.
About JSID
The mission of the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology (JSID) is to advance the position of dermatology in the interdisciplinary world and to enhance the quality of science and research presentations in dermatology for the purposes of maintaining healthy skin and further advancing the treatment of skin diseases.
ISID Young Investigator Collegiality Event
Grantee: International Society for Investigative Dermatology
Amount: USD 40,000
Grant category: Research Networking
Year: 2023
Geography: USA
The Young Investigator Collegiality Event is held in connection with ISID 2023 in Tokyo – and seeks to support the meaningful connections that take place at this meeting. The Young Investigator Collegiality Event is held at a popular Tokyo venue, and aims to facilitate connections amongst individuals of diverse scientific and geographic backgrounds, in an effort to build the skin biology community and foster multidisciplinary collaboration.
About the ISID
‘The ambitious mission of the ISID is to unite all organizations of scientists dedicated to investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology with the purpose of encouraging and facilitating collaboration and to jointly sponsor and support an international, abstract driven, peer reviewed scientific meeting every 5 years.’