Dr. David Baker is a Nobel laureate and distinguished computational biologist who serves as the Director of the Institute for Protein Design and Henrietta and Aubrey Davis Endowed Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. An HHMI investigator and elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, Baker has been a faculty member at the University of Washington since 1993, establishing himself as a visionary leader at the intersection of computer science and molecular biology. He earned his PhD in biochemistry under Randy Schekman at the University of California, Berkeley, and conducted postdoctoral research in biophysics with David Agard at UCSF, developing the interdisciplinary expertise that would define his groundbreaking career. In addition to his primary appointment, Baker holds adjunct professorships across four departments including Genome Sciences, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, and Computer Science, reflecting the broad impact of his work on modern scientific discovery.
Dr. Baker's pioneering work in computational protein design has revolutionized structural biology and earned him one half of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design; he shares the prize with Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper, who were honored for protein structure prediction. His laboratory developed the Rosetta algorithm for protein structure prediction, which evolved into powerful tools like RoseTTAFold that harness artificial intelligence to design entirely new protein structures. To date, Baker has published more than 650 scientific papers, secured over 100 patents, and co-founded 21 biotechnology companies that translate computational approaches into real-world applications. His work contributed to the world's first computationally designed protein medicine, including a vaccine for COVID-19 developed at UW Medicine, demonstrating the profound practical impact of his theoretical innovations on global health challenges.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Baker has profoundly shaped the field through his commitment to open science, ensuring that advanced tools and insights are shared freely to accelerate global scientific discovery. He has mentored more than 100 doctoral and postdoctoral trainees who have gone on to independent faculty positions worldwide, building a collaborative community that continues to advance protein science. Named among STAT News' 50 influential leaders in the life sciences, Baker continues to push the boundaries of computational biology with his team's development of machine learning methods for generating functional proteins. His current research focuses on addressing pressing challenges in medicine, technology, and sustainability through designed proteins, positioning his laboratory at the forefront of a new era in molecular engineering with transformative potential across multiple disciplines.
