diff --git a/monai/transforms/adaptors.py b/monai/transforms/adaptors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b0a8571574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/monai/transforms/adaptors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,237 @@
+# Copyright 2020 MONAI Consortium
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import monai
+
+"""
+How to use the adaptor function
+
+The key to using 'adaptor' lies in understanding the function that want to
+adapt. The 'inputs' and 'outputs' parameters take either strings, lists/tuples
+of strings or a dictionary mapping strings, depending on call signature of the
+function being called.
+
+The adaptor function is written to minimise the cognitive load on the caller.
+There should be a minimal number of cases where the caller has to set anything
+on the input parameter, and for functions that return a single value, it is
+only necessary to name the dictionary keyword to which that value is assigned.
+
+Use of `outputs`
+
+`outputs` can take either a string, a list/tuple of string or a dict of string
+to string, depending on what the transform being adapted returns:
+. If the transform returns a single argument, then outputs can be supplied a
+  string that indicates what key to assign the return value to in the
+  dictionary
+. If the transform returns a list/tuple of values, then outputs can be supplied
+  a list/tuple of the same length. The strings in outputs map the return value
+  at the corresponding position to a key in the dictionary
+. If the transform returns a dictionary of values, then outputs must be supplied
+  a dictionary that maps keys in the function's return dictionary to the
+  dictionary being passed between functions
+
+Note, the caller is free to use a more complex way of specifying the outputs
+parameter than is required. The following are synonymous and will be treated
+identically:
+```
+   # single argument
+   adaptor(MyTransform(), 'image')
+   adaptor(MyTransform(), ['image'])
+   adaptor(MyTransform(), {'image': 'image'})
+
+   # multiple arguments
+   adaptor(MyTransform(), ['image', 'label'])
+   adaptor(MyTransform(), {'image': 'image', 'label': 'label'})
+```
+
+Use of `inputs`
+
+`inputs` can usually be omitted when using `adaptor`. It is only required when a
+the function's parameter names do not match the names in the dictionary that is
+used to chain transform calls.
+
+```
+class MyTransform1:
+    ...
+    def __call__(image):
+        return '''do stuff to image'''
+
+class MyTransform2:
+    ...
+    def __call__(img):
+        return '''do stuff to image'''
+
+d = {'image': i}
+
+Compose([
+    adaptor(MyTransform1(), 'image'),
+    adaptor(MyTransform2(), 'image', {'img':'image'})
+])
+```
+
+Inputs:
+dictionary in: None | Name maps
+params in (match): None | Name list | Name maps
+params in (mismatch): Name maps
+params & **kwargs (match) : None | Name maps
+params & **kwargs (mismatch) : Name maps
+
+Outputs:
+dictionary out: None | Name maps
+list/tuple out: list/tuple
+variable out: string
+
+"""
+
+
+@monai.utils.export('monai.transforms')
+def adaptor(function, outputs, inputs=None):
+
+    def must_be_types_or_none(variable_name, variable, types):
+        if variable is not None:
+            if not isinstance(variable, types):
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "'{}' must be None or {} but is {}".format(
+                        variable_name, types, type(variable)))
+
+    def must_be_types(variable_name, variable, types):
+        if not isinstance(variable, types):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "'{}' must be one of {} but is {}".format(
+                    variable_name, types, type(variable)))
+
+    def map_names(ditems, input_map):
+        return {input_map(k, k): v for k, v in ditems.items()}
+
+    def map_only_names(ditems, input_map):
+        return {v: ditems[k] for k, v in input_map.items()}
+
+    def _inner(ditems):
+
+        sig = FunctionSignature(function)
+
+        if sig.found_kwargs:
+            must_be_types_or_none('inputs', inputs, (dict,))
+            # we just forward all arguments unless we have been provided an input map
+            if inputs is None:
+                dinputs = dict(ditems)
+            else:
+                # dict
+                dinputs = map_names(ditems, inputs)
+
+        else:
+            # no **kwargs
+            # select only items from the method signature
+            dinputs = dict((k, v) for k, v in ditems.items() if k in sig.non_var_parameters)
+            must_be_types_or_none('inputs', inputs, (str, list, tuple, dict))
+            if inputs is None:
+                pass
+            elif isinstance(inputs, str):
+                if len(sig.non_var_parameters) != 1:
+                    raise ValueError("if 'inputs' is a string, function may only have a single non-variadic parameter")
+                dinputs = {inputs: ditems[inputs]}
+            elif isinstance(inputs, (list, tuple)):
+                dinputs = dict((k, dinputs[k]) for k in inputs)
+            else:
+                # dict
+                dinputs = map_only_names(ditems, inputs)
+
+        ret = function(**dinputs)
+
+        # now the mapping back to the output dictionary depends on outputs and what was returned from the function
+        op = outputs
+        if isinstance(ret, dict):
+            must_be_types_or_none('outputs', op, (dict,))
+            if op is not None:
+                ret = {v: ret[k] for k, v in op.items()}
+        elif isinstance(ret, (list, tuple)):
+            if len(ret) == 1:
+                must_be_types('outputs', op, (str, list, tuple))
+            else:
+                must_be_types('outputs', op, (list, tuple))
+
+            if isinstance(op, str):
+                op = [op]
+
+            if len(ret) != len(outputs):
+                raise ValueError("'outputs' must have the same length as the number of elements that were returned")
+
+            ret = dict((k, v) for k, v in zip(op, ret))
+        else:
+            must_be_types('outputs', op, (str, list, tuple))
+            if isinstance(op, (list, tuple)):
+                if len(op) != 1:
+                    raise ValueError("'outputs' must be of length one if it is a list or tuple")
+                op = op[0]
+            ret = {op: ret}
+
+        ditems = dict(ditems)
+        for k, v in ret.items():
+            ditems[k] = v
+
+        return ditems
+
+    return _inner
+
+
+@monai.utils.export('monai.transforms')
+def apply_alias(fn, name_map):
+
+    def _inner(data):
+
+        # map names
+        pre_call = dict(data)
+        for _from, _to in name_map.items():
+            pre_call[_to] = pre_call.pop(_from)
+
+        # execute
+        post_call = fn(pre_call)
+
+        # map names back
+        for _from, _to in name_map.items():
+            post_call[_from] = post_call.pop(_to)
+
+        return post_call
+
+    return _inner
+
+
+@monai.utils.export('monai.transforms')
+def to_kwargs(fn):
+    def _inner(data):
+        return fn(**data)
+
+    return _inner
+
+
+class FunctionSignature:
+    def __init__(self, function):
+        import inspect
+        sfn = inspect.signature(function)
+        self.found_args = False
+        self.found_kwargs = False
+        self.defaults = {}
+        self.non_var_parameters = set()
+        for p in sfn.parameters.values():
+            if p.kind is inspect.Parameter.VAR_POSITIONAL:
+                self.found_args = True
+            if p.kind is inspect.Parameter.VAR_KEYWORD:
+                self.found_kwargs = True
+            else:
+                self.non_var_parameters.add(p.name)
+                self.defaults[p.name] = p.default is not p.empty
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        s = "<class 'FunctionSignature': found_args={}, found_kwargs={}, defaults={}"
+        return s.format(self.found_args, self.found_kwargs, self.defaults)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return self.__repr__()
diff --git a/tests/test_adaptors.py b/tests/test_adaptors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d089290d04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_adaptors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+# Copyright 2020 MONAI Consortium
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import unittest
+import itertools
+
+
+from monai.transforms.adaptors import adaptor, apply_alias, to_kwargs, FunctionSignature
+
+
+class TestAdaptors(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_function_signature(self):
+
+        def foo(image, label=None, *a, **kw):
+            pass
+
+        f = FunctionSignature(foo)
+
+    def test_single_in_single_out(self):
+        def foo(image):
+            return image * 2
+
+        it = itertools.product(
+            ['image', ['image']],
+            [None, 'image', ['image'], {'image': 'image'}]
+        )
+        for i in it:
+            d = {'image': 2}
+            dres = adaptor(foo, i[0], i[1])(d)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['image'], 4)
+
+        d = {'image': 2}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, 'image')(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['image'], 4)
+
+        d = {'image': 2}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, 'image', 'image')(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['image'], 4)
+
+        d = {'image': 2}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, 'image', {'image': 'image'})(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['image'], 4)
+
+        d = {'img': 2}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, 'img', {'img': 'image'})(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['img'], 4)
+
+        d = {'img': 2}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, ['img'], {'img': 'image'})(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['img'], 4)
+
+    def test_multi_in_single_out(self):
+        def foo(image, label):
+            return image * label
+
+        it = itertools.product(
+            ['image', ['image']],
+            [None, ['image', 'label'], {'image': 'image', 'label': 'label'}]
+        )
+
+        for i in it:
+            d = {'image': 2, 'label': 3}
+            dres = adaptor(foo, i[0], i[1])(d)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['image'], 6)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['label'], 3)
+
+        it = itertools.product(
+            ['newimage', ['newimage']],
+            [None, ['image', 'label'], {'image': 'image', 'label': 'label'}]
+        )
+
+        for i in it:
+            d = {'image': 2, 'label': 3}
+            dres = adaptor(foo, i[0], i[1])(d)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['image'], 2)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['label'], 3)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['newimage'], 6)
+
+        it = itertools.product(
+            ['img', ['img']],
+            [{'img': 'image', 'lbl': 'label'}]
+        )
+
+        for i in it:
+            d = {'img': 2, 'lbl': 3}
+            dres = adaptor(foo, i[0], i[1])(d)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['img'], 6)
+            self.assertEqual(dres['lbl'], 3)
+
+    def test_default_arg_single_out(self):
+        def foo(a, b=2):
+            return a * b
+
+        d = {'a': 5}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, 'c')(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['c'], 10)
+
+        d = {'b': 5}
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            dres = adaptor(foo, 'c')(d)
+
+    def test_multi_out(self):
+        def foo(a, b):
+            return a * b, a / b
+
+        d = {'a': 3, 'b': 4}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, ['c', 'd'])(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['c'], 12)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['d'], 3 / 4)
+
+    def test_dict_out(self):
+        def foo(a):
+            return {'a': a * 2}
+
+        d = {'a': 2}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, {'a': 'a'})(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['a'], 4)
+
+        d = {'b': 2}
+        dres = adaptor(foo, {'a': 'b'}, {'b': 'a'})(d)
+        self.assertEqual(dres['b'], 4)
+
+
+class TestApplyAlias(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_apply_alias(self):
+
+        def foo(d):
+            d['x'] *= 2
+            return d
+
+        d = {'a': 1, 'b': 3}
+        result = apply_alias(foo, {'b': 'x'})(d)
+        self.assertDictEqual({'a': 1, 'b': 6}, result)
+
+
+class TestToKwargs(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_to_kwargs(self):
+
+        def foo(**kwargs):
+            results = {k: v * 2 for k, v in kwargs.items()}
+            return results
+
+        def compose_like(fn, data):
+            data = fn(data)
+            return data
+
+        d = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
+
+        actual = compose_like(to_kwargs(foo), d)
+        self.assertDictEqual(actual, {'a': 2, 'b': 4})
+
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            actual = compose_like(foo, d)