Simpson Lab Awarded $600K Serendipity Grant from LEO Foundation to Extend Studies of Hailey-Hailey Disease
Congratulations to Cory Simpson, MD, PhD, who has received a two-year, $600,000 grant from the LEO Foundation to advance his lab’s research on Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD), a rare genetic skin blistering disorder with no FDA-approved treatments.
This funding will allow the Simpson Lab to build on unexpected and promising findings from the human tissue model of HHD honed by PhD student, Jessica Ayers. The proposed work includes investigation of a signaling pathway that could represent a novel therapeutic target in Hailey-Hailey disease to halt skin blistering and infections.
"We are especially grateful to the LEO Foundation for re-upping their investment in my lab with a second grant. At a challenging time for research funding, this support will let us keep working toward finally moving the needle for patients with Hailey-Hailey disease.” –Dr. Cory Simpson
Dr. Simpson is one of just six international researchers to receive a Serendipity Grant, awarded to scientists whose surprising discoveries open new directions for research. Together, the six awards total DKK 22 million (Danish Krone), or $3.4 million.
Launched in 2023, the Serendipity program provides additional support to current LEO Foundation grantees who encounter unforeseen results or generate new hypotheses beyond the scope of their original project. These grants are designed to foster exploration of novel, serendipitous discoveries that emerge from ongoing LEO Foundation–funded research.
