I am an epithelial stem cell biologist with research interests in tissue renewal, wound repair and cancer. My laboratory has used predominantly human skin as a model epithelium but findings in this tissue can be extended to many other epithelia including oesophageal, gastrointestinal and ovarian tissues. My primary research interests focus on understanding the cellular and molecular interactions between epithelial stem cells and their immediate mesenchymal microenvironment - an interaction that drives homeostatic cell replacement. Disruption of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions occur during injury and cancer - an understanding of these perturbations provides insights into the development of proliferative diseases, ageing and carcinogenesis.