Research in the Dai laboratory focuses on understanding the transcriptional and chromatin regulation of mammalian epithelial development and regeneration, and how the epigenetic control mechanisms go awry to drive inflammatory diseases and tumorigenesis. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining mouse genetics with molecular, cellular, and systems-level studies, we aim at identifying important molecular pathways that regulate the activities of tissue stem cells and their diseased counterparts. We use two closely related tissue models, namely skin and mammary gland, and study two classes of regulatory proteins, namely Ovol DNA-binding transcription factors and Pygo chromatin effectors. Our recent work has identified a key role for Ovol in modulating aberrant skin inflammation through regulating epidermal-immune cell cross-talks.