Rachelle Crosbie

Rachelle Crosbie is a Professor and Department Chair at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in Integrative Biology and Physiology. Her research focuses on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), sarcospan, and extracellular matrix interactions in muscle health and disease.

She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University (1989) and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UCLA (1994). Postdoctoral work was conducted at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Her lab investigates sarcospan's role in ameliorating dystrophic muscle by activating compensatory mechanisms. Research includes developing small molecule therapies, in vitro platforms for fibrosis studies, and multi-omics approaches to cytoskeletal remodeling. She leads an NIH T32 training grant for muscle research.

Scientific awards include the UCLA Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Coalition Duchenne Lotus Award, and National Academies Education Scholar recognition. She developed an online DMD course for UC campuses and contributed to education research on student engagement in asynchronous learning.