Rachelle Crosbie-Watson

Rachelle Crosbie-Watson is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with dual appointments in Neurology and the Brain Research Institute. She serves as Education Liaison for the Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and holds memberships in multiple graduate programs including Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology; Cell & Developmental Biology; JCCC Cancer and Stem Cell Biology; and Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology.

Her research pioneers sarcospan's role within the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, demonstrating that sarcospan introduction ameliorates muscular dystrophy in mouse models. The Crosbie lab developed exclusive molecular tools for sarcospan study and collaborates with the Baum lab on high-throughput screening assays targeting sarcospan expression for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy therapy. She also partners with the Spencer group to engineer novel mouse models of muscle disease, advancing mechanistic understanding of muscular pathologies.

Analysis of her 2007-2013 publications reveals consistent focus on sarcospan therapeutic applications, dystrophin-glycoprotein complex stabilization, and Akt signaling pathways in muscle regeneration. Key trends include leveraging mouse models for disease mechanism studies, exploring glycosylation's role in sarcolemmal integrity, and investigating ciliary motility genetics through collaborative networks.

Nominated for UCLA's Teaching Distinction Award, Dr. Crosbie-Watson directs the Beckman Undergraduate Scholars Program and has trained numerous HHMI, Beckman, and Dean's scholars. She successfully mentored a Marshall Scholarship recipient—one of only thirteen UCLA students ever awarded this prestigious fellowship—demonstrating exceptional commitment to developing future scientific leaders.

The Crosbie lab maintains strategic collaborations including the Baum lab for therapeutic development and the Spencer group for muscle disease modeling, driving innovation in muscular dystrophy research through integrated approaches spanning molecular tools, high-throughput screening, and translational physiology.