Research funding and initiatives have increased in recent years, with award-winning and nationally recognized staff hard at working studying the mechanisms of disease in order to better understand and combat disorders of the skin.

University of Maryland researchers are focused on cancerous and non-cancerous skin conditions as well as drug reactions, in an effort to both prevent disease and improve treatment options.

One research study focuses on the molecular pathways responsible for the development of basal cell carcinoma, examining molecular targets with respect to their potential action as well as changes in host immunity. With these two complimentary approaches, the department hopes to better understand how this tumor invades tissue and identify novel methods of combating this cancer.