The Program in Epithelial Biology at Stanford University School of Medicine was founded in 1999 in the Stanford Department of Dermatology as a Tier A Multidisciplinary Stanford Research Program. Since its inception, it has grown to involve 60 Stanford faculty members working on questions in epithelial biology using an array of experimental systems, including C. elegans, Drosophila, Xenopus and mammals. The program also boasts a strong translational and clinical trials component in the areas of cutaneous oncology, cell and small molecule-based regenerative medicines, and epithelial inflammation and autoimmunity. The four major current programmatic components of the Stanford Program in Epithelial Biology include a weekly seminar series, an NIH-funded Training Grant for post-doctoral fellows, graduate studies in Epithelial Biology, and Stanford Velius Scientia, a mentoring society for young scientists in the Stanford epithelial biology community. These programmatic efforts are designed to facilitate synergistic interactions as well as to foster the career development of students and post-doctoral fellows in the Program.