Search Results for The Science Olympiads

Grant category: Standalone grants

Year: 2018

Geography: Denmark

Diseases of the skin affect a quarter of the population, more than a billion people, at any given time. Despite impressive progress, especially in the area of immunology in skin diseases, the pace of innovation is not sufficiently high and new treatments are slow to reach patients.

Here, we propose to create a LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center (Skin Immunology Center) that will become a beacon for skin research in Denmark and worldwide.

The Center will identify key questions relating to disease heterogeneity, new pathological mechanisms, and novel therapies of inflammatory skin diseases. With the ultimate aim of helping people with skin diseases in the best possible way, we will launch a focused effort employing cutting edge technologies to advance biological insights and translate basic discoveries to ‘proof of principle’ and then to ‘first in man’ applications (‘bench-to-bedside’). Importantly, observations and questions arising in the clinic will be taken back to the laboratory (‘bedside-tobench’). This team science concept and ecosystem with seamless translation and back-translation between basic biology and the clinic will animate the spirit of the Center from day one.

The Skin Immunology Center will be headquartered at the 12th floor of the Mærsk Tower, the new flagship building at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

We will bring together the immunology of the skin, its diseases and comorbidities, ‘omics’ technologies, experimental models, and strong clinical integration to develop new stratification paradigms and therapies towards precision medicine. People will form the basis of the success of the Center and we will both empower existing scientists and strategically hire new talent. We will build a pipeline of future top researchers through excellent educational activities. In this way, the Center will incubate and form a new generation of multidisciplinary skin immunology researchers, ready to reshape the field for decades to come.

From the start, we will collaborate across specialties, institutions and geographies. The Skin Immunology Center will aim to have a total of 60 members in the core member research groups when fully operational, a critical mass allowing it to contribute significantly to raising the level and quality of research and education in inflammatory skin diseases.

The existing LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery will become an associated and collaborating partner. The Skin Immunology Center will integrate and advance basic and clinical science approaches to skin disease and develop future leaders in the field, while increasing knowledge and awareness of skin and skin diseases among medical professionals, patients and the public.

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2018

Geography: USA

The 2019 Gordon Research Conference on Epithelial Differentiation and Keratinization (GRC-EDK) is the premier international meeting in epithelial biology since 1979. It showcases the latest conceptual and technological advances in epithelial biology bridging basic and translational research.

This 2019 meeting entitled “Innovations in basic and translational epithelial biology” aims to bring together preeminent speakers at the forefront of epithelia development, stem cell biology, cell biology, pathology and therapy.

The main objective is to discuss latest developments and generate synergistic approaches towards future discoveries and therapeutic prospects. To ensure this, over 30% of speakers are from outside the immediate field, 50% did not speak in the 2017 meeting, and over 30% will be selected from submitted abstracts. Finally, a power hour will open a debate on ways to recognize and tackle discriminations in science.

Trainee mentorship will be promoted through the 4^th Gordon Research Seminar on Epithelial Differentiation and Keratinization (GRS-EDK), immediately preceding the GRC-EDK. GRS meetings are organized and featured by trainee scientists providing a unique opportunity to discuss their research and develop life-long collaborations.

The GRS-EDK will also feature a career mentoring panel discussion with emphases on transitioning to independence, careers in academia versus industry, and the importance of gender and racial diversity within science. Collectively, this GRC/GRS will move forward cutting-edge research in the area of skin biology, promote translation of key research findings to clinical practice, and further the careers of early stage investigators to maintain the highest level of innovation of this field in the future.

Grant category: Education and Awareness Grants

Year: 2022

Geography: Denmark

The Bloom Festival is celebrated annually and places a focus on acknowledging the wonders of nature and science – the festival is held each year in Søndermarken on Frederiksberg. The festival has existed since 2017, with the LEO Foundation offering funding support since 2019.  

The festival is organized by ADBC, which has success in running other alike initiatives, such as the annual Golden Days festival. The annual Bloom Festival is a contribution to strengthening the landscape of STEM-initiatives in Denmark, and functions as an innovative event which aims to enlighten us on the universe, the world, and ourselves. 

By uniting the best from the worlds of festivals and science, Bloom aims to tackle Life’s greatest questions through debates, talks, laboratories, conversations, and nature walks. 

More information

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.

More information

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.

Visit High5Girls webpage

Grant category: Research Networking

Year: 2023

Geography: USA

The Montagna Symposia on the Biology of Skin are a very well-established conference, similar to a Gorden Conference, bridging the gap between basic research and dermatology. The meeting brings together scientists and physicians from academics to industry to foster interdisciplinary communication and collaboration in basic, translational and clinical research and practice, facilitating development of new collaborations, research and therapies for cancer, inflammatory diseases and other skin conditions. It provides a venue for the participation of high-profile, established speakers and up-and-coming stars in skin disease research and dermatology practice from around the world. The meeting facilitates the coming together of established researchers and clinicians with residents, fellows, and students; and representatives from government, foundations, and industry in a variety of fields and specialties, fostering the cross-pollination of ideas that is at the heart of breakthroughs in translational dermatology.