Chanel Research & Technology recently honoured Professor Emi Nishimura from the Medical Research Institute at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Her work aims to further elucidate the mechanisms of skin aging and their application to skin regeneration and rejuvenation.

Professor Emi Nishimura won the 2015 Chanel-CE.R.I.E.S. Research Award for its work on cutaneous stem cells.

"Professor Nishimura’s project will employ sophisticated genetic and imaging techniques to monitor the fate of so-called stem cells in skin and hair follicles and to determine their response to environmental stress and aging," explains Professor Barbara Gilchrest, President of the CE.R.I.E.S. [1] Scientific Advisory Board which selects the annual Awardees.

Last year’s winner of the Chanel-CE.R.I.E.S. Research Award was professor Julia Segre, Senior Investigator at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, MD, USA, for her research which focuses on understanding the skin’s microbiome and the role of surface bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the maintenance of healthy skin.

Professor Julia Segre won the 2014 Chanel-CE.R.I.E.S. Research Award for its work on the cutaneous microbiome.

"Professor Segre’s project applies powerful DNA sequencing techniques to skin swabs obtained from healthy volunteers to characterize resident bacteria and other microbes at multiple dry, moist and sebum-rich body sites," explains Barbara Gilchrest.

The annual Chanel-CE.R.I.E.S. Research Award of 40,000 euros is intended to honour the accomplishments of a scientific researcher with a proven track record in fundamental or clinical research work and to encourage his or her continued research activity. The field of research concerns the physiology or biology of healthy skin and/or its reactions to environmental factors.

"Ever since we created the Chanel-CE.R.I.E.S. Research Award in 1996, our aim has been to support ground-breaking skin research projects, aiming to enrich our understanding of the skin with new findings made available to all," comments Christian Mahé, Senior Vice President, Chanel Research & Technology. "Our most recent laureates are proof of this aim and we are proud to support their trail-blazing work."