Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen was bestowed the LEO Pharma Research Foundation Gold Award for his outstanding work in dermatological research. The award comes with a hefty prize sum of 1 million Danish kroner. The award was handed over on the17th November 2010 at the Panum Insititute.

”The award is of great importance to me. It will significantly support my research and is a huge motivation. Without the award, the next step in my research simply wouldn’t be possible,” says the 35-year-old researcher, who also works as doctor in a training post at the Dermatology and Allergy Department at GentofteHospital.

His research has shown that Denmark’s nickel regulation of consumer products in 1990 resulted in a significant decrease in the incidence of nickel allergy amongst young, Danish women. His research has also provided legislators with key data for discussing how EU nickel legislation can be tightened.

Thyssen’s research can help ensure that patients around the world receive a better diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as child eczema – the most common, chronic childhood illness in Denmark, which affects one in five children.