Interdisciplinary Skin Science Program

Founding Director: Kristen Kelly, MD

Our Vision: Innovate in Skin Health

Skin is the largest organ of the body, our outermost surface, and our first line of defense against microorganisms, toxins, solar radiation and other harmful exposures. As we age, our skin thins and weakens, and cancer of the skin becomes the most common type of malignancy, particularly in sunny California. Skin diseases profoundly affect us as individuals because our skin is a defining feature that shapes how we are perceived and feel about ourselves.

Here at UC Irvine, we are world leaders in non-invasive skin imaging that is revolutionizing the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of skin disease. Together, our scientists and clinicians are leading groundbreaking discoveries in skin inflammation and aging. Indeed, it is our unique collaboration of basic, translational and clinical skin scientists that positions UCI at the forefront of developing the next generation of medications, technologies and treatments for dermatologic diseases.

The UCI Interdisciplinary Skin Science Program is saving and changing lives by developing advanced treatment of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis (eczema), alopecia (hair loss), blistering diseases, chronic wounds, vitiligo, melasma, gynecologic skin conditions and skin cancers. It has been selected as one of 12 high-impact research programs that will be located in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building.

In This New Facility

World-renowned scientists and clinicians will collaborate in custom-designed labs to identify new targets for disease prevention and develop life-changing treatments.

Interdisciplinary teams will work side-by-side to understand skin biology and apply scientific discoveries to improve patient care.

Future leaders will be trained in the fundamentals of skin biology and skin disease research.

Indoor and outdoor gathering spaces for events, speakers and presentations will foster engagement and dialogue to speed and share discoveries.

Our Competitive Advantage

Empowered by the distinctive One Health approach of UCI Health Affairs that transcends disciplinary boundaries, the Interdisciplinary Skin Science Program Laboratory will comprise faculty and staff from the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences which includes the schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, population and public health and UCI Health, our regional healthcare delivery system partnered with the pioneering Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. With brilliant minds working together instead of in silos, our teams will push the boundaries of innovation and facilitate fundamental discoveries in science.

UCI has one of only six National Institutes of Health funded Skin Disease Research Core Centers. This Center brings together scientists across the campus from medicine, biology, mathematics, computer science and engineering to investigate the biology and diseases of the skin. And at UCI, our Center benefits from valuable collaborations with other centers on campus. Skin biologists are key players in the Cancer, Stem Cell and Cancer Systems Biology Centers and have natural synergies with these groups.

UCI has built a community of skin researchers who have advanced our understanding of skin biology, propelling UCI to national prominence. These advances include findings relevant to the control of hair follicles and other skin appendages; epidermal differentiation; epidermal stem cells; skin regeneration; wound healing; UV-induced DNA damage and early skin carcinogenesis; regulation of pigmentation; the pathogenesis and detection of pigmented lesions; as well as the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of vascular malformations.

Our program is nationally recognized for clinical trials in alopecia and vitiligo, as well as advances in light-based imaging and treatment, and for the study of and treatment development for inflammatory conditions, including psoriasis. We are national leaders in developing energy-based devices. The success of UCI’s skin investigators coupled with the clinical trials expertise of our dermatologists provide a strong foundation for future growth in translational research.

Current Team

The Interdisciplinary Skin Science Program is comprised of over 20 highly interactive skin research faculty. Some of the investigators include:

Kristen Kelly, MD

Professor and Chair, Dermatology, School of Medicine

Bogi Andersen, MD

Professor, Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine

Scott Atwood, PhD

Assistant Professor, Developmental & Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences

Mihaela Balu, PhD

Associate Professor, Dermatology, School of Medicine

Xing Dai, PhD

Professor, Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine

Anand Ganesan, MD, PhD

Professor, Dermatology,
School of Medicine

Sergei Grando, MD, PhD, DSc

Distinguished Professor, Dermatology, School of Medicine

Christina Kraus, MD

Assistant Professor, Dermatology,
School of Medicine

Natasha Mesinkovska, MD, PhD

Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Research, Dermatology, School of Medicine

Maksim Plikus, PhD

Professor, Developmental & Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences

Jessica Shiu, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Dermatology, School of Medicine

Bryan Sun, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Dermatology, School of Medicine

Join Us in Making an Impact

We are seeking philanthropic partners to establish a home for the UCI Interdisciplinary Skin Science Program in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, and to support our programmatic funding to achieve transformational discoveries.

Named Spaces Within the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building

The overall design of the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building allows UCI to foster dynamic alliances that move discovery from inspiration to practice. There is the opportunity to name the new home for the Interdisciplinary Skin Science Program, as well as custom-designed laboratories and gathering spaces. As a philanthropic partner, you will ensure our scientists have the space, resources and facilities needed to perform their life-changing work.

Endowed Research Grants

Research endowments provide continuous support for our investigators who are reshaping the future of science and healthcare because external grants cover only a portion of costs. Moreover, endowed funding is particularly important to underwrite the most innovative discoveries and novel strategies because it provides the flexibility to follow the science that leads to breakthroughs. All this important work will be done under the name of our philanthropic partner. Named endowed scholarships underwrite the training of future generations of lead investigators and care providers in perpetuity.

Endowed Chairs

When you join us as a philanthropic partner naming an endowed chair, you will forever link your legacy to UCI’s distinguished experts. Ultimately, advances in biomedical research will lead to innovative therapies. Philanthropic funds for endowed chairs, research and scholarships live in perpetuity. These funds create the ability to recruit and retain top-tier faculty who will be critical for UCI to remain a world-class center of excellence for emerging therapies. Endowed chairs are so powerful because they establish a perpetual annual support stream for the chairholder to focus their efforts on aspirational research.

Partner With Us

Please join us as we make our vision of the Interdisciplinary Skin Science Program a reality. To learn more about exclusive naming opportunities for this transformative initiative, and for associated spaces within the medical innovation building, please contact:

Caroline Pereira, MBA
Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Advancement
caroline.pereira@uci.edu | 949-824-5577