Basic Research

Researcher conducts laboratory research (c) UC Regents. All rights reserved. Basic research is the foundation of scientific discovery. At UC Davis Health, our Department of Dermatology is deeply committed to understanding the fundamental biology of the skin and the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive both health and disease.

Our approach connects discoveries in the lab with insights from the clinic. We ask questions guided by patient needs and we work to turn answers into better care as quickly as possible. Our researchers study wound healing, immune responses, genetic changes in skin cancers and the biology of viruses. This work builds the foundation for tomorrow’s therapies while driving clinical advances today.

Our Basic Research Faculty

The strength of our basic research program lies in the depth and breadth of our faculty expertise. Our investigators are leaders in dermatologic science, each bringing unique perspectives and specialized knowledge to the collective effort of advancing skin health. Their work spans diverse areas of inquiry, ranging from keratinocyte biology, tissue engineering and cancer immunotherapy to viral gene regulation, autoimmune disease models and the molecular signals that drive inflammation. By expanding what we know about the skin, these experts are uncovering new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.

Meet our Researchers

	Samuel Hwang, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and Chair Research interests — Immunological diseases of the skin, including psoriasis, and in the biology of skin cancers, including melanoma and cutaneous T cell lymphoma
	Roslyn Rivkah Isseroff, M.D. Distinguished Professor Research interests — Keratinocyte differentiation, migration and wound healing, signal transduction, bioengineered tissue replacement and toxicology of the skin
	Yoshihiro Izumiya, Ph.D. Professor/Professor in Residence Research interests — Gene regulation of viruses such as Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus
	Maija Kiuru, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Clinical Dermatology and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs Research interests — Genetic alterations in skin tumors and familial skin diseases
	Emanual Maverakis, M.D. Professor in Residence Research interests — Immunotherapies for melanoma, T cell-mediated skin diseases, the murine models of autoimmunity and clinical trials for melanoma and autoimmunity
	William J. Murphy, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Dermatology Distinguished Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology Research interests — Cancer immunotherapy and graft versus host disease
	Sasha Shafikhani, Ph.D. Professor and Director of Microbiome Research Research interests — Host and pathogen interactions, chronic wound healing and cancer biology
	Athena Soulika, Ph.D. Professor in Residence Research interests — The role of local immune responses in the healing process following tissue injury and the characterization of immune responses initiated locally in the skin after burn injury
	Yoshikazu Takada, M.D., Ph.D. Professor Research interests — Integrins, cellular processes that promote inflammation and understanding how integrin-binding results in pro-inflammatory signals