Marin Science Seminar Presentation: “When a Good Enzyme Goes Bad: The Role of COX-2 in Health and Disease” (Septembe 24r, 2008)

Mary Sevigny obtained a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology, with emphasis in Microbiology, from U.C. Berkeley in 1992. She received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from U.C. Davis in 1998. In 2000 she accepted a research position as a postdoctoral fellow at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco. She was an adjunct instructor at Napa Valley College for three semesters (2004- 2005) and joined the faculty at Dominican in Fall 2006. She is currently teaching Advanced Microbiology, Microbiology Lab for nursing students, and Bio Research Methodology. Much of her research interests have involved studying enzymes and glycosylation and their role in the development of certain kinds of cancers. Her current research involves studying how glycosylation of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme affects its function and its ability to be inhibited by various COX-2 inhibitors, such as aspirin and Vioxx. Since COX-2 is involved in so many pathophysiological conditions such as inflammation, arthritis, and certain types of cancer, understanding how its activity is normally regulated in the cell may eventually lead to the development of more effective therapeutics with fewer side effects.