Search Results for The Science Olympiads
Unravelling B cell dynamics in hidradenitis suppurativa pathogenesis
Grantee: Joshua Moreau, Assistant Professor, Oregon Health and Science University
Amount: DKK 2,221,706
Grant category: Research Grants in open competition
Year: 2023
Geography: USA
Joshua Moreau’s project investigates the potential role of B cells (antibody-producing immune cells) in the inflammatory skin disease, hidradenitis suppurativa to create a foundation for future therapeutic approaches.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a painful skin disease characterized by highly inflamed lesions. While the causes of lesion progression are not well understood, this inflammation is often marked by accumulation of an immune cell subset called B cells. In certain contexts, B cells cause damage to the body and perpetuate inflammatory responses, however, for this to happen these cells need to undergo a process of maturation to become antibody-producing plasma cells. In this project, Joshua Moreau aims to understand if B cells accumulating in HS affected skin mature into disease perpetuating plasma cells.
To do this, Joshua Moreau and his team will utilize a technique called spatial transcriptomics technology that allows them to track B cell maturation across a skin sample. This, in turn, will allow them to determine if plasma cells originate at the site of inflammation in the skin.
Additionally, the team will explore avenues for blocking B cell maturation specifically within the skin using advanced human skin tissue culturing approaches.
Collectively, these experiments may provide currently missing insight into the disease-causing potential of B cells in HS and form a foundation for targeting them therapeutically.
The Children’s Book Publisher (Børnebogsforlaget)
Grantee: Jakob Lund Pedersen, Børnebogsforlaget
Amount: DKK 380,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2023
Geography: Denmark
“Danske Stjerner” (translated to Danish stars) is a series of children’s books about important Danish scientists. The series is for kids of aged 4-8 years. The books’ stories are illustrated, and their tales begin when the scientists are the same age as their young readers. They then follow the scientists into adulthood, exploring their lives and discoveries. The aim of the series is to increase children’s interest for science, and to inspire them through role models. So far, the series consists of eight published books, illustrating the lives of, amongst others, physicist Niels Bohr, seismologist Inge Lehmann, and astronaut Andreas Mogensen.
The grant is for DKK 380,000 and supports the publishing of four additional books to the series, including one about Morten Peter Meldal, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2022 for the development of “click chemistry”, and one about Elise Sørensen, creator of the colostomy bag, which today is used globally.
Visit The Children’s Book Publisher’s webpage
Introducing Dr Abildgaard Fellowships to boost emerging research leaders
…leaders in skin science and enable them to pursue novel and important research questions as independent group leaders. Designed for impact Anne-Marie Engel , Chief Scientific Officer at the LEO…
Serendipity grants
…projects granted Ya-Chieh Hsu, Professor, Harvard University Pursuing an interesting hypothesis may indeed lead to new insight. Yet sometimes, as frequently experienced in science, pursuing a hypothesis may also lead…
LEO Foundation sharpens focus on the skin with new ambitions, and awards anniversary prize
…in medical and natural science among children and young people. Engaged owner of LEO Pharma with strong focus on advancing the treatment of skin diseases As an engaged owner of…
Annual Report 2023: Achievements and ambitions that pave the way for curing skin diseases
…of researchers, and promoting and communicating science to the public. Additionally, we finalized the work on a LEO Foundation-specific framework for tracking and assessing the impact of our philanthropic activities….
JSID Young Investigator Event
Grantee: Akimichi Morita, JSID
Amount: EUR 25,000
Grant category: Research Networking
Year: 2024
Geography: Japan
To strengthen the interactions between young scientists a collegiality night and a symposium are arranged in conjunction with the 49th annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology (JSID).
The mission of 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.
Biotech Academy Camp 2024 – Microbiology
Grantee: Victoria Francke, Biotech Academy (DTU Bioengineering)
Amount: DKK 211,260
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2024
Geography: Denmark
Biotech Academy Camp is an annual recurring event where 30 high school students from all over Denmark attend a week-long science camp. The purpose of the camp is to introduce potential students to theory and laboratory work and to spur young people’s interest in STEM in an engaging and practical way.
This year the theme is microbiology, and it is free for high school students to participate. Biotech Academy Camp is run by students at the Technical University of Denmark – DTU and the University of Copenhagen.
Decoding circadian host-microbiome skin interactions in health and psoriasis
Grantee: Eran Elinav, Head of Department, Weizmann Institute of Science
Amount: DKK 4,000,000
Grant category: Research Grants in open competition
Year: 2024
Geography: Israel
Eran Elinav’s project explores the role of circadian rhythm in regulating host-microbiome interactions in the skin, and the impact of abnormal circadian rhythm on the microbiota of the gut, with a potential link to skin inflammation, psoriasis in particular.
While the exact cause of psoriasis remains elusive, it is believed to stem from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including dietary and biological clock-related influences. The mechanism by which these factors impact psoriasis is closely tied to the circadian rhythm, as evidenced by the abnormal circadian rhythms observed in psoriasis patients. In recent years, the pivotal role of the microbiota – the trillions of indigenous microorganisms inhabiting the human body – has come to the forefront. Eran Elinav’s group has recently uncovered that circadian disruption can exacerbate inflammatory diseases by disrupting the diurnal oscillations of the gut microbiota. His project explores how the circadian clock may also orchestrate fluctuations in the dermal microbiome, which could be crucial in understanding skin diseases such as psoriasis.
Eran Elinav’s project aims to identify novel host-microbiome interactions in the skin and generate a novel framework for microbiome-based interventions for psoriasis.
Children’s books: Max and Meta (Max og Meta)
Grantee: Troels Gollander, Forlaget Meta
Amount: DKK 225,000
Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants
Year: 2024
Geography: Denmark
The ‘Max og Meta’ children’s book series targets 4-12-year-olds with a cartoon-like format presenting stories revolving around natural science phenomena. The series is created by an experienced duo, author Troels Gollander and illustrator Lars-Ole Nejstgaard. The project covers two new books in the series, focused on the sensory system and the body, a website targeting primary schools with free educational material related to the two new books, and a podcast exploring the topics of the book series.
The books aim to stimulate STEM interest in children and pre-teens with an educational format that is both ‘family-friendly’ and relevant for lower secondary school.