Linda Matsuuchi

Professor
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  • Research area
    Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Lab members
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  • History

    A.B., Barnard College; M.A., M.Phil, Ph.D. Columbia University (New York City); Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Berkeley (1981-1985); Assistant Research Biochemist, University of California San Francisco (1985-1991); UBC since 1992; Member of the Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology; Associate Director of the Life Sciences Institute (2008-2013)

My lab is interested in understanding the cell signaling of specific membrane receptors, combining aspects of Cell Biology, Immunology , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.Structure and function of the antigen receptor on B lymphocytes: The B cell receptor is composed of membrane immunoglobulin M (mIgM) and a heterodimer of two associated proteins, Ig-alpha and Ig- beta. When the receptor is on the cell surface of B lymphocytes it functions to transmit intracellular signals that regulate cell growth and differentiation and it binds to antigen for the generation of the immune response. We are studying the downstream consequences of intracellular signaling and how the BCR interacts with protein tyrosine kinases, phosphatases and other associated proteins. In addition we are exploring how signaling changes the cytoskeletal architecture in B lymphocytes. Recently my lab has embarked on a study of the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43), whose expression profoundly influences lymphocyte responses to BCR and chemokine receptor signalling, in particular regulating rearrangements in the actin cytoskeleton.

Lab members:

Farnaz Pournia (PhD student), May Dang Lawson (Lab Manager), Kate Choi (Tech 3)-both joint with M. Gold,

Past Lab members (Graduate students, Postdocs and Staff): Dr. Marcia McCoy Graves (joint with M.Gold and C. Roskelley), Victor Mo, Letitia Falk Biagi, Steve Machtaler, Caren Jang Grande, Janis Dylke, Teresa Jackson, Lorna Santos, Colm Condon, Sharon Hourihane, Lori Joyce, Jessica Escribano, Shaun Foy

Past Lab members (Independent study students and Work Learn students): Connor Keane, Michael Hall, Henry Lu, Matthew Lowe, Caroline Chu, Kate Choi, Gabe Woolam, Colm Condon, Tally Vertinsky, Cathy Brown, Karen Chua (Ung), Corey Ming-Lum, Aneez Mohammed, Katherine Tung, Shaun Foy

CSI Investigator Award

2007
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For Research

Faculty of Science Achievement Award

2007
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For Service