Maureen Beresini Senior Scientist: Biochemical Pharmacology Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers | Awards & Honors

"I joined Genentech in 1992 because of its reputation for outstanding science. What impressed me most when I arrived was the strongly collaborative relationships that quickly developed among my colleagues. I feel fortunate that my position has allowed me to connect my past experiences in protein chemistry as a graduate student, cell biology as a postdoctoral fellow, and assay development gained in industry. The past 16 years have continued to provide me with opportunities to learn and grow scientifically while allowing me to contribute to the discovery of small molecule therapeutics."

Current Projects "My group develops and provides biochemical and cellular assays to promote the discovery of potential small molecules therapeutics. We study the interactions of small molecules and/or endogenous ligands with target proteins. We develop assays for high-throughput screening and provide assays for hit profiling. As a part of these efforts, we explore and integrate new technologies. Although we have worked in a variety of therapeutic areas over the years, our current focus lies in oncology and is expanding into immunology and neurobiology."

Collaborations "We are active members of multidisciplinary project teams. We work very closely with our computational and medicinal chemists to evaluate the molecules that they generate and also with scientists in the therapeutic area groups such as Cancer Signaling and Immunology to ensure that our assays are assessing the most relevant functions of our target proteins. We collaborate regularly with members of Protein Chemistry, Protein Engineering, Biochemical Pharmacology, and Assay and Automation Technology. Frequently, our existing collaborations fuel additional collaborations."

Inspiration/Vision "Genentech is a leading biotechnology company with a proven record of bringing biological therapeutics to market. I am confident that we can expand the company's scope in the field of discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule therapeutics. Our small molecule efforts within Genentech have grown significantly and continue to take shape. Our collaboration with OSI and Roche on Tarceva® (erlotinib) laid the foundation for bringing additional small molecules onward to patients. We are building a significant portfolio of projects at various stages to fuel the small molecule pipeline."