Margot E. Quinlan

Dr. Margot E. Quinlan is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her work focuses on the molecular mechanisms of the actin cytoskeleton, particularly through the study of the Spire-Cappuccino (Spir-Capu) complex in Drosophila oogenesis and its implications in mammalian disease.

• Specialties: Biochemistry, Structural and Computational Biology, Systems Biology, Metabolism, Aging and Development, Biophysics
• Affiliation: Biochemistry Division, Molecular Biology Institute, and the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA

Research Interests span molecular mechanisms of actin nucleation, cell biology of polarity determination in oogenesis, regulatory pathways involving Jun-N-terminal kinase and Rab11, and the role of Spir-Capu in mammalian epithelial and neuronal polarity. Her work has potential applications in diagnosing and treating diseases like cancer and cystic fibrosis.

Recent Publications highlight collaborative studies on Spir-Capu interactions, actin cross-linking toxins, and formin function in cytoskeletal dynamics. Her lab employs biochemical, genetic, and microscopic approaches to address these questions.

Honors/Awards include the Alexander and Renee Kolin Endowed Professorship, a Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences (Burroughs-Wellcome Fund), and multiple predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships.

Lab Members include graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduates contributing to research on actin dynamics and cell polarity.