My primary goal is to understand the underlying mechanisms associated with congenital human disorders. To achieve this goal I use in vivo loss of function analysis in the developing zebrafish embryo. Using zebrafish allows us to directly follow and observe cells over the course of development. This is a very powerful approach and enables us to model genetic diseases in a cost effective manner.

• Shiloff Family Foundation Award - University of Texas El Paso (01/10/2023)
• Academic and Research Excellence-Undergraduate Student-Microbiology - University of Texas El Paso (11/14/2022)
• American Society for Cell Biology MAC Travel Award - American Society for Cell Biology (11/08/2022)
• 2022 SACNAS Travel Award - Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans (10/01/2022-10/31/2022)
• 2022 SACNAS Travel Award - Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans (10/01/2022-10/31/2022)
• Mejor mentor en ciencia - Vanderbilt University (10/12/2022)
• Keelung Hong Fellowship - University of Texas El Paso (12/01/2021-12/31/2021)
• Keelung Hong Fellowship - University of Texas El Paso (12/01/2021-12/31/2021)
• ASCB Women in Cell Biology Highlighted - American Society for Cell Biology (09/01/2021-09/30/2021)
• COURI Best Poster Award - University of Texas El Paso (08/01/2021-08/31/2021)
• COURI Honorable Mention "Best Poster" - University of Texas El Paso (08/01/2021-08/31/2021)
• SURPASS Summer Internship - University of Texas El Paso (07/01/2021-07/31/2021)
• Bridges to baccalaureate Fellow - University of Texas El Paso (06/01/2021-06/30/2021)
• BUILDing Scholars Fellowship - University of Texas El Paso (05/01/2021-05/31/2021)
• COURI Honorable Mention "Best Poster" - University of Texas El Paso (05/01/2021-05/31/2021)
• Post baccalaureate fellowship - Johns Hopkins University (05/01/2021-05/31/2021)
• University of Cincinnati Summer Research Program - University of Cincinnati (02/01/2021-02/28/2021)
• 100 inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists in America - Cell Mentor by Cell Press and Cell Signaling Technology (09/15/2020)
• Bridges to baccalaureate Fellow - University of Texas El Paso (07/01/2020-07/31/2020)
• Academic and Research Excellence Undergraduate-Neuroscience - University of Texas El Paso (05/01/2020-05/31/2020)
• COURI Undergraduate in Research and Creative Activities Award - University of Texas El Paso (05/01/2020-05/31/2020)
• Dodson Research Grant - University of Texas El Paso (05/01/2020-05/31/2020)
• Outstanding Interdisciplinary Senior Thesis - University of Texas El Paso (05/01/2020-05/31/2020)
• Post-baccalaureate Fellowhip - National Institutes of Health (05/01/2020-05/31/2020)
• UTEP Doctoral Excellence Fellowship - University of Texas El Paso (04/01/2020-04/30/2020)
• UTEP EDGE Fellow - University of Texas El Paso (02/01/2020-02/28/2020)
• Best Elevator Pitch - American Society for Cell Biology (12/01/2019-12/31/2019)
• American Society for Cell Biology Minority Affairs Committee Travel Award - American Society for Cell Biology (12/06/2019)
• American Society for Cell Biology Minority Affairs Committee Travel Award - American Society for Cell Biology (12/06/2019)
• American Society for Cell Biology Minority Affairs Committee Travel Award - American Society for Cell Biology (12/06/2019)
• Awarded the Lawrence and Judi Ellzey Academic Scholarship for Graduate Students (08/01/2019-08/31/2019)
• Graduate Scholarship Recipient 2019-2020 (08/01/2019-08/31/2019)
• Bridges to Baccalaureate Summer Fellow (06/01/2019-06/30/2019)
• Faculty Research Education Development Program - American Society of Cell Biology (05/01/2019-05/31/2019)
• MHIRT Summer Fellow - The University of Texas El Paso (03/24/2019)
• Keelong Hong Fellow - The University of Texas El Paso (01/01/2019)
• Building Scholars Fellow (01/01/2018-12/31/2018)
• Academic and Research Excellence: Undergraduate Student-Microbiology - University of Texas El Paso-Department of Biological Sciences (12/11/2018)
• Best Oral Presentation-Developmental Biology - Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans (10/13/2018)
• Bridges to Baccalaureate 9-month fellow (09/01/2018-09/30/2018)
• Graduate Scholarship Recipient (08/01/2018)
• Graduate Scholarship Recipient - UTEP (08/01/2018)
• Neuroscience Scholars Program-Associate Fellow - Society for Neuroscience (08/01/2018)
• SPINES (Summer Program in Neuroscience, Excellence, and Success) Fellow - Marine Biological Laboratory (06/14/2018)
• FASEB Mentored Poster/Platform Presenter Award - The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (06/11/2018)
• Bridges to Baccalaureate Summer Fellow (06/01/2018)
• Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program Fellow - SHURP at Harvard Medical School (06/01/2018)
• Travel Award - Society for Developmental Biology (05/10/2018)
• Teaching/Junior Faculty Travel Grant - Society for Developmental Biology (05/08/2018)
• UTEP Graduate School Travel Grant - University of Texas El Paso (05/08/2018)
• Best Poster: Undergraduate Student Poster Award - American Association of Anatomists Experimental Biology 2018 (04/24/2018)
• Travel Award - University of Texas El Paso/ Building Scholars (04/20/2018)
• Mentoring Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Scholars - National Institutes of Health (03/06/2018)
• Travel Award - American Association of Anatomists (02/12/2018)
• Undergraduate Student Poster Award-Top 12 Competition - American Association of Anatomists (02/12/2018)
• Cullen Symposium Travel Award - MD Anderson Cancer Center (12/04/2017)
• Travel Award - University of Texas El Paso/ Building Scholars (10/19/2017)
• Bridges to Baccalaureate 9-month Fellow (09/01/2017-09/30/2017)
• Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Fellow (08/01/2017-08/31/2017)
• Bridges to Baccalaureate Summer Fellow (06/01/2017)
• Novatris Summer Internship - Novartis (06/01/2017)
• Summer Undergraduate Fellow - University of Texas Southwestern (06/01/2017)
• Summer Undergraduate Research Program Fellow - MD Anderson (06/01/2017)
• Faculty Research and Education Development Fellowship - American Society of Cell Biology (04/25/2017)
• Selection to the National Symposium for Undergraduate Research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (04/15/2017)
• Thelma Morris Endowed Scholarship - UTEP College of Science (02/01/2017-02/28/2017)
• Building Scholars Fellow (01/01/2016-12/31/2016)
• Building Scholars Fellow (01/01/2016-12/31/2016)
• College of Science Graduate Fellows Program - UTEP College of Science (12/22/2016)
• ASCB Travel Award - American Society of Cell Biology (07/15/2016)
• Bridges To Baccalaureate Summer Fellow (06/01/2016)
• Student Honorable Mention COURI Symposium - UTEP COURI Symposium (04/30/2016)
• Developmental Psychobiology Research Group Fellow - University of Colorado (08/01/2014-08/31/2014)
• Developmental Psychobiology Research Group Fellow - University of Colorado (08/01/2012-08/31/2012)
• Faculty of 1000 Post Publication Review - Faculty of 1000 (01/01/2011-12/31/2011)
• Highly Rated Poster Award - American Association of Cancer Research (01/01/2011-12/31/2011)
• Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity Fellow - University of New Mexico (01/01/2007-12/31/2007)
• Minority Access to Research Careers Fellow - National Institutes of Health (01/01/2004-12/31/2004)

• Ph D in Biomedical Sciences, University of New Mexico (2010)
• BS in Microbiology, New Mexico State University (2005)

• Mutation of gabra1 is associated with hypermotility and abnormal expression of proteins critical for ion homeostasis and synaptic vesicle transport. BioRxiv Preprint Server (2023), Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Isaiah Perez, Brian Grajeda, Igor L. Estevao, Cameron C. Ellis, Sourav Roy, Anita M. Quintana.
• Abnormal chondrocyte intercalation in a zebrafish model of cblC syndrome restored by an MMACHC cobalamin binding mutant. bioRxiv preprint server (2023), David Paz, Briana E. Pinales, Barbara S. Castellanos, Isaiah Perez, Lourdes Jimenez Madrigal, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Victoria L. Castro, Jennifer L. Sloan, Anita M. Quintana.
• Leading by example: Developing diversity first mentoring strategies. Molecular Biology of the Cell 32 22 (2021), Anita M. Quintana.
• Knockdown of hspg2 is associated with mandibular jaw joint fusion and neural crest cell dysfunction in zebrafish BMC Developmental Biology 21 1:7 (2021), Barbara S. Castellanos, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Anita M. Quintana.
• Activation of WNT signaling restores the facial deficits in a zebrafish with defects in cholesterol metabolism Genesis: The Journal of Genetics and Development (2020), Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Brianna Sanchez, Cesar G. Gonzalez, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Hcfc1a regulates neural precursor proliferation and asxl1 expression in the developing brain BMC Neuroscience 21 1 (2020), Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• The role of HCFC1 in syndromic and non-syndromic intellectual disability Medical Research Archives (2020), Victoria L. Castro, Anita M. Quintana.
• Abnormal Expression of GABA A Receptor Subunits and Hypomotility Upon Loss of gabra1 in Zebrafish Biology Open 9 4(bio051367) (2020), Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Hung-Chun Yu, Curtis R. Coughlin II, Tamim H. Shaikh, Anita M. Quintana.
• Mutations in the zebrafish hmgcs1 gene reveal a novel function for isoprenoids during red blood cell development Blood Advances 3 8 (2019), Jose A. Hernandez, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli Reyes-Nava, Laura P. Montes, Anita Quintana.
• Zebrafish: A comprehensive model to understand the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders Nova Publishing 36 (2018), Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Jose A. Hernandez, Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, Barbara S. Castellanos, Anita Quintana.

• Characterization of irregular chondrocyte stacking during craniofacial development in a zebrafish model of cblC syndrome. (2022), Volume Washington DC, Briana E. Pinales, David Paz, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Lourdes J. Madrigal-Jimenez, Isaiah Perez, Victoria L. Castro, Anita M. Quintana.
• Characterizing the role of HCFC1 in anxiety disorders using adult zebrafish (2022), Volume San Diego CA, Briana E. Pinales, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Abnormal radial glial cells development caused by missense mutation of hcfc1a in zebrafish (2022), Volume Puerto Rico, Valeria V. Virrueta, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Functional analysis of ZNF143 in craniofacial development (2022), Volume Puerto Rico, Isaiah Perez, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Anita M. Quintana.
• Identifying mechanisms driving syndromic and non-syndromic disease in patients with mutations in HCFC1 (2022), Volume Sheffield, UK, Victoria L. Castro, David Paz, Valeria V. Virrueta, Rahab Jaramillo, Anita M. Quintana.
• Mutation of mmachc causes chondrocyte stacking deficits in the absence of toxic metabolites (2022), Volume Sheffield, UK, Victoria L. Castro, David Paz, Barbara S. Castellanos, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Lourdes Jimenez-Matrigal, Isaiah Perez, Anita M. Quintana.
• Knockdown of zebrafish znf143b is associated with its craniofacial abnormalities during early development (2022), Isaiah Perez, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Anita M. Quintana.
• Hcfc1a regulates the number of radial glial cells during early development (2022), Valeria V. Virrueta, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Applications for zebrafish for larval and adult behavioral assays. (2022), Anita Quintana.
• Zebrafish as a model to understand genetic pediatric disorders. (2021), Volume Virtual, Anita Quintana.
• Behavioral characterization of the gabra1sa43718 allele during zebrafish neurodevelopment (2021), Volume Virtual, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Anita M. Quintana.
• Characterizing the function of mmachc during craniofacial development (2021), Volume Virtual, Lourdes Jimenez-Matrigal, David Paz, Barbara S. Castellanos, Anita M. Quintana.
• Characterizing the function of mmachc during craniofacial development (2021), Lourdes Jimenez-Matrigal, David Paz, Barbara S. Castellanos, Anita M. Quintana.
• Monitoring anxiety behavior in adult zebrafish carrying a heterozygous mutation in the hcfc1a gene using the novel tank diving test (2021), Erika Quezada, Hope Lopez, Victoria L. Castro, Anita M. Quintana.
• The function of the cholesterol synthesis pathway in WNT signaling during development and disease (2021), Volume Virtual, Anita Quintana, Jose A. Hernandez, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Cesar G. Gonzalez, Brianna S. Sanchez, Laura Montes, David Paz.
• Characterizing the function of znf143b in zebrafish craniofacial development. (2021), Isaiah Perez, Anita M. Quintana.
• Characterizing anxiety in hcfc1a mutant fish using the novel tank behavioral test. (2021), Volume zoom, Lisa Holguin, Anita M. Quintana.
• Behavioral characterization of the gabra1sa43718 allele during neurodevelopment (2021), Volume Virtual, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Anita M. Quintana.
• Knockdown of hspg2 is associated with abnormal mandibular jaw joint development (2021), Volume Virtual, Barbara S. Castellanos, Anita M. Quintana.
• Hcfc1a loss of function mutation impacts neural precursor cell expansion, differentiation and locomotor behavior in zebrafish model of cblX. (2021), Volume Virtual, Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Restoration of cholesterol dependent craniofacial abnormalities by WNT signaling activation in zebrafish (2020), Volume Virtual, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Cesar G. Gonzales, Brianna B. Sanchez, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Activation of WNT signaling restores the neural crest cell differentiation defects in a zebrafish with an inborn error of cholesterol metabolism (2020), Volume Virtual, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Cesar G. Gonzalez, Brianna B. Sanchez, David Paz, Anita Quintana.
• Functional analysis: A path toward understanding the mechanisms underlying pediatric disorders. (2020), Anita M. Quintana.
• Behavioral analysis of zebrafish with mutation of the hcfc1a gene (2020), Volume Virtual, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Knockdown of hspg2 in zebrafish is associated with mandibular jaw joint fusion and neural crest cell dysregulation (2020), Volume Virtual, Barbara S. Castellanos, Anita M. Quintana.
• Molecular mechanisms modulating neural development in cblX syndrome. (2020), Volume Virtual, Anita M. Quintana, Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, David Paz.
• Role of gabra1 during developmental behavior (2020), Volume Virutal, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Anita M. Quintana.
• Activation of WNT signaling restores the facial deficits in a zebrafish with defects in cholesterol metabolism (2020), Volume Virtual, Anita M. Quintana, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Brianna Sanchez, Cesar G. Gonzalez.
• Hcfc1a regulates neural precursor proliferation and asxl1 expression in the developing brain. (2020), Volume Virtual, Joel F. Reyes, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, David Paz, Anita Quintana.
• Mutation of hcfc1a disrupts neural precursor proliferation and induces hypomotility in a zebrafish model of cblX (2020), Volume El Paso, TX, Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, Anita M. Quintana.
• hspg2 mediates jaw joint development in zebrafish (2020), Volume El Paso TX, Barbara S. Castellanos, Anita M. Quintana.
• Loss of function of gabra1 is associated with altered swimming behavior in zebrafish (2020), Volume El Paso TX, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Hung-Chun Yu, Curtis R. Coughlin II, Tamim H. Shaikh, Anita M. Quintana.
• Behavioral characterization of Zebrafish with Mutations in the hcfc1a gene (2020), Volume El Paso TX, David Paz, Anita M. Quintana.
• Hcfc1a regulates neural precursor proliferation and asxl1 expression in the developing brain. (2020), Volume Virtual, Joel F. Reyes, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, David Paz, Anita Quintana.
• Defects in neural precursor proliferation and abnormal asxl1 expression as a result of mutations in HCFC1 ortholog induce hypoactive behavior in zebrafish model of cblX syndrome (2019), Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, Anita Quintana.
• Mutations in the cholesterol synthesis pathway reveal independent functions for cholesterol and isoprenoids during erythropoiesis (2019), Volume Washington D.C., Jose A. Hernandez, Victoria L. Castro, Anita Quintana.
• Functional analysis reveals abnormal expression of GABAA receptor sub-units and hypomotility upon loss of gabra1 in zebrafish (2019), Volume Washington D.C., Nayeli Reyes-Nava, Hung-Chun Yu, Curtis R. Coughlin II, Tamim H. Shaikh, Anita Quintana.
• Functional analysis using the zebrafish model reveals that hspg2 mediates mandibular jaw joint development (2019), Volume University of Houston, Barbara S. Castellanos, Anita Quintana.
• Using NeuroNotebooks to Improve Students’ Understanding of Developmental Neurobiology, Attitudes Toward Research, and Experimental Design Competency (2019), Volume Minneapolis, MN, David Esparza, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Karina Leon, Anita Quintana, Jeffrey Olimpo.
• Using NeuroNotebooks to improve students’ understanding of developmental neurobiology, attitudes toward research, and experimental design competency (2019), Volume Minneapolis, MN, David Esparza, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Karina Leon, Anita Quintana, Jeffrey T. Olimpo.
• RECOVERY OF NORMAL CRANIOFACIAL PHENOTYPE IN HMGCS1 MUTANTS VIA MODULATION OF THE WNT SIGNALING PATHWAY (2019), Brianna B. Sanchez, Anita M. Quintana.
• Using zebrafish to understand the function of HCFC1 in cblX syndrome (2019), Joel F. Reyes, Danica Lopez, Anita Quintana.
• gabra1 disrupts normal brain development in a zebrafish model of hypomotility (2019), Volume Denver Colorado, Nayeli Reyes-Nava, Hung-Chun Yu, Curtis Coughlin II, Tamim H. Shaikh, Anita Quintana.
• Hcfc1a, an ortholog of HCFC1, regulates neural precursor proliferation in a zebrafish model of cblX syndrome. (2019), Volume Denver Colorado, Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, Anita Quintana.
• Using zebrafish to understand the function of HCFC1 in cblX syndrome (2019), Volume Denver Colorado, Joel F. Reyes, Danica Lopez, Anita Quintana.
• Zebrafish model of cblX syndrome reveals divergent functions for the zebrafish orthologs of HCFC1. (2018), Volume Indianapolis, Danica Lopez, Anita Quintana.
• Zebrafish: A model organism for cblX syndrome (2018), Volume San Antonio, Texas, Anita Quintana.
• Elucidating the downstream genes modulated by the transcriptional co-factor HCFC1. (2018), Volume San Antonio, Texas, Victoria L. Castro, Joel F. Reyes, Anita Quintana.
• Knockdown of the zebrafish orthologue of GABRA1 results in absence seizures. (2018), Volume San Antonio, Texas, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Hung-Chun Yu, Curtis Coughlin II, Tamim H. Shaikh, Anita Quintana.
• Knockdown of the zebrafish orthologue of GABRA1 results in absence seizures. (2018), Volume Portland Oregon, Nayeli Reyes-Nava, Hung-Chun Yu, Curtis R. Coughlin II, Tamim H. Shaikh, Anita Quintana.
• Mutations in hcfc1a disrupt neural precursor cell proliferation by way of deficiencies in asxl1 expression. (2018), Volume Portland Oregon, Victoria L. Castro, Joel Reyes, Anita Quintana.
• The cholesterol synthesis pathway regulates erythropoiesis by discrete molecular mechanisms. (2018), Volume Portland Oregon, Jose A. Hernandez, Victoria L. Castro, Anita Quintana.
• Using zebrafish as a model to understand the role of HSPG2 in early craniofacial development (2018), Volume Portland Oregon, Barbara S. Castellanos, Hung-Chun Yu, Curtis R. Coughlin II, Tamim H. Shaikh, Anita Quintana.
• Cholesterol regulates craniofacial development by modulating the WNT signaling pathway. (2018), Volume San Diego, Cesar G. Gonzalez, Jose A. Hernandez, Anita Quintana.
• Mutations in the zebrafish ortholog of HCFC1 reveal a critical function in neural precursor function. (2018), Volume San Diego, Joel F. Reyes, Victoria L. Castro, Nayeli G. Reyes-Nava, Anita Quintana.
• Zebrafish larvae: An emerging system for the study of melanoma metastasis (2018), Jennifer K. Love, Anita Quintana.
• Careers alternatives at teaching institutions (2018), Volume Albuquerque, Anita Quintana.
• Mutations in the zebrafish hmgcs1 gene uncover tissue specific functions for cholesterol and isoprenoids. (2018), Volume Albuquerque NM, Anita Quintana.

• Neurodevelopmental function of HCFC1 (On behalf of Victoria Castro)
• 4-Nonylphenol and the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease
• U-RISE at the University of Texas El Paso
• MMACHC regulates craniofacial development
• Role of HCFC1 in cell proliferation
• Elucidating the mechanism underlying development of brain defects in cblX syndrome
• Regulatory function of the Cholesterol Synthesis pathway during erythropoiesis.
• Mutations in HCFC1 alter neural precursor differentiation.
• Statin Treatment reduces the metastatic potential of hematopoietic malignancies.