This program consists of several components: epidermal repair and regeneration, melanocyte biology, skin appendages, and vascular/lymphatics networks of the skin. Basic, translational, and clinical studies in these areas of research are supported by this program. Within each of these components, specific focus areas include:

Skin Repair and Regeneration:

• Basic studies of skin regeneration.
• Analysis of keratinocyte behavior during the normal wound healing process.
• New animal models of wound repair and regeneration.
• Basic, translational and clinical studies of chronic wounds.
• Abnormal wound healing in hereditary skin diseases.
• Skin scarring.
• Epithelial, mesenchymal and induced pluripotent stem cells in skin repair.
• Skin tissues engineering and improved skin equivalents.

Melanocyte Biology:

• Normal melanocyte development, differentiation and homeostasis
• Skin pigmentation process and its regulation.
• Skin pigmentation disorders including hyperpigmentation and albinism.
• Photobiology of the skin.
• Melanocyte stem cells and their regulation.
• Early melanocyte transformation, melanocytic nevi, and melanoma prevention.

Skin Appendages:

• Development and maintenance of skin appendages.
• Diseases of skin appendages including hair, nails, sweat and sebaceous glands.
• Identifying potential stem cells and their niches.
• Function and regulation of stem cells in normal skin and diseases.
• Regenerative potential and conditions of skin appendages.

Skin Vasculature and Lymphatic System:

• Mechanisms of skin blood vessels and angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.
• Structure-function of blood and lymphatic vessels in normal skin development.
• Cellular, molecular biology and genetics of skin vasculature and lymphatics.
• Skin vascular malformations such as hemangioma and port wine stain.