The mission of the Montagna Symposium on the Biology of Skin is fourfold:

• To thoroughly cover one aspect of skin biology annually, identifying unsolved problems and long term goals
• To allow the exchange and acquisition of new knowledge on a formal basis and provide a proving ground for new concepts, and to share these with the greater scientific and medical community
• To integrate topics at the interfaces of disciplines, fostering new collaborations and developing and translating animal models, where necessary, to human benefit
• To encourage young investigators in pursuit of careers in academic and investigational dermatology to build interactive, collaborative relationships with established physicians and scientists