Maggie Louie, Ph.D.
Dr. Maggie Louie currently teaches Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biotechnology. Her current research is focused on understanding the development and progression of hormone refractory breast cancer.
Assistant Professor
Email: maggie.louie@dominican.edu
Office: Science Center # 220
Phone: (415) 485-3248
Lab Phone: (415) 482-1914
Fax: (415) 482-1972
Academic Area
Biochemistry
Educational Backgound
- B.S. Molecular Biology, 1997, University of California, Berkeley, CA
- B.A. Nutritional Sciences, 1997, University of California, Berkeley, CA
- M.S. Biochemistry, 2000, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
- Ph.D. Biochem & Mol Biology, 2004, University of California, Davis, CA
- Post-Doc Cancer Biology, 2004-2005, University of California, Davis , CA
Teaching and Research Interests
My dissertation work was focused on understanding the role of the coactivator, ACTR in breast cancer proliferation. The desire to teach has always been a significant part of my motivation to pursue a higher education and a career in academia. My teaching interests and philosophy have been shaped through my experiences both as a student and as an instructor for several colleges and universities, including San Francisco State University, Dominican University and San Francisco City College. My role in the teaching is to facilitate and empower my students to learn. Teaching is not only for the students, but also a learning experience for myself, for I enjoy and greatly benefit from it. In 2005, I accepted a full-time tenure track position at Dominican University as an Assistant Professor because it offered me the opportunity to do the two things that I enjoy the most in my life (other than my family): to teach and to research. I hope to use my research as a tool for training my students to think critically and also to develop scientific theories.
My current research is focused on understanding the development of hormone refractory breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies that occur in women in the United States. Breast cancer results from the abnormal proliferation of the cells in the mammary gland. The normal growth of mammary gland epithelial cells is modulated by the circulating levels of estrogen, a hormone produced by the ovaries. The activity of estrogen is mediated by the estrogen receptor (ER) and thus serves as a key prognostic marker in breast cancer development. Breast cancer can exists as either estrogen responsive or estrogen non-responsive cancer. Majority of breast cancer initially develops as hormone dependent-cancer in which growth and progression of the cancer is modulated by the action of estrogen. Hormone responsive cancer is typically treated with hormone ablation therapy or endocrine therapy to block the ER. Although success has resulted from such treatments, the cancer often develops into a more aggressive, hormone independent phenotype. The mechanism of how hormone independence develops is not clear and my current research is focused on understanding the mechanism of how hormone-refractory breast cancer develops.
Professional Organizations
Selected Publications
1. Li, L., Louie M.C., Chen H.W., Zou, J. Proto-oncogene ACTR/AIB1 promotes breast cancer cell invasion by up-regulating specific MMP expression. Cancer Letters 2008 Mar 8;261(1):64-73
2. Fussell, J. and Louie, M.C. The Impact of the Golden Gate Bridge on Marin County Suicide Statistics. BIOS September 2008
3. Louie M.C., Revenko, A., Yao, J., Zou, J., Chen H.W. Direct Control of Cell Cycle Gene Expression by Proto-Oncogene Product ACTR, and Its Autoregulation Underlies Its Transforming Activity MCB May 2006. 26:3810-3823
4. Louie M.C., Zou J.X., Rabinovich, A., Chen H.W. ACTR/AIB1 functions as an E2F1 coactivator to promote breast cancer cell proliferation and anti-estrogen resistance. MCB 2004. 24:5157-5171
5. Louie M.C.,Yang Q.H., Ma A.H., Zou J.X., Kung H.K., Chen H.W. Androgen-induced recruitment of RNA polymerase II to a nuclear receptor-p160 coactivator complex. PNAS 2003. 100(5): 2226-223
6. Lee L.F*., Louie M.C.*, Yang J., Desai S., Evans C.P., Chen H.W., Kung, H.J. Interleukin 8 confers androgen independent growth an d migration in LNCaP: Differential Effects of Tyrosine Kinases Src and FAK. Oncogene 2004. 1-9
7. Louie M.C., Kondor N., and DeWitt J.G. Gene expression in cadmium-tolerant Datura innoxia: detection and characterization of cDNAs induced in response to Cd2+ Plant Molecular Biology. Plant Molecular Biology 2003. 51(1): 81-89
Awards & Honors
- Turner BioSystems Luminometer Grant, June 2006
- Scholarship of Research Award (Dominican University), August 2006-June 2007
- Academic Excellence Award (Dominican University), August 2005-June 2006
- Keystone Travel Scholarship, February 2004
- NIH-MCB-Training Grant, July 2001 - June 2004
- GAANN Fellowship, September 1999 - August 2000
Other Interests
Current Funding:
Nation Institute of Health- Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Louie) 06/01/2008-05/31/2010 $24,800
Wendy Will Case Cancer Fund (Louie) 01/01/2007- 12/31/2007 $30,000
Nation Institute of Health-AREA Grant (R15) 09/01/2007-08/31/2010 $150,000
1R15CA121983-01A1 (Louie)For a full listing of publications and presentations
