Dr. Spencer is a Professor of Neurology and Program Director of the Neuromuscular Division at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her research focuses on defining disease mechanisms underlying muscular dystrophies and developing innovative therapeutic strategies to treat these disorders. She has led both basic and clinical research programs for more than two decades, with continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DoD), and multiple disease-focused foundations. In recent years, her work has centered on advancing gene-therapy approaches for neuromuscular diseases, with particular emphasis on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). A major component of this effort involves engineering and optimizing delivery platforms to enable safe and effective systemic administration of gene therapies. To address key safety challenges associated with adeno-associated virus (AAV)–based therapies, her laboratory investigates AAV–host immune interactions using single-cell technologies and complementary immunologic assays in both human samples and preclinical models. This work aims to define clinically relevant immune mechanisms and improve the predictive value of preclinical models for human gene-therapy responses. Dr. Spencer was nominated by the NIH in 2001 as one of 11 investigators nationwide for the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. She has received the UCLA Golden Test Tube Award for excellence in teaching and was recently elected to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Advisory Council. In addition to her research leadership, Dr. Spencer is deeply committed to graduate and postgraduate education and mentorship. She mentors graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and neuromuscular clinical fellows, with an emphasis on rigorous scientific training, clinical excellence, and long-term career development. She has also published numerous reviews and commentaries in the field of neuromuscular disease and gene therapy.