Journey through the cell

Journey Through the Cell

Bridget S. Wilson, PhD

Professor, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

A popular film in 1966 was FANTASTIC VOYAGE, remembered for its fanciful view of the human body as experienced by a miniaturized crew. While hugely imaginative and fun to watch (remember Raquel Welch swarming with antibodies?), this was Hollywood’s vision and far from reality. Four decades later, teams of scientists are making use of advanced imaging, nanotechnologies, and sophisticated computational methods to capture and illustrate the real behavior of the individual molecules and cells that make up the body. In this lecture, Dr. Wilson will survey some of these exciting new methods, which have produced 3D views and simulations of cellular compartments. She will particularly focus on technologies that have been developed and applied by collaborative research teams in New Mexico.

Bridget Wilson is a Texas native, who initially considered acting as a career. After discovering the fascinating intricacies of the cell, she went on to complete both masters’ and doctoral degrees in biology at UNM. As a postdoctoral fellow at UC San Diego, she trained with two pioneers of electron microscopy, Marilyn Farquhar and George Palade (a Nobel Laureate). She returned to New Mexico in 1993 to join the UNM Medical School faculty, where her laboratory is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations.

Wilson’s current research is focused on the spatial organization of cell processes, particularly for cell-cell communication. She is known for innovative microscopy approaches, especially use of the transmission electron microscope to capture hidden aspects of the cellular landscape. She collaborates extensively with other creative microscopists in the UNM cell biology community, as well as mathematicians, physicists and computational biologists at UNM and the national labs. The Wilson family enjoys the peaceful environment of Albuquerque’s North Valley, where their small farm is home to horses and occasional bosque wildlife.