Today we learned that UW Medicine Professor of Biochemistry David Baker was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (with co-winners Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper), and our University is thrilled to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of his extraordinary scientific achievements in the field of protein design.
This award makes David the eighth UW faculty member to win a Nobel Prize, a testament to the visionary and talented individuals who are drawn here to research, teach and mentor. In addition to holding the Henrietta and Aubrey Davis Endowed Chair in Biochemistry, David is the Director of the Institute for Protein Design. But it’s notable that he also holds adjunct appointments in bioengineering, genome sciences, physics, chemical engineering and computer science. This reflects the kind of interdisciplinary cross-pollination that supports breakthrough discoveries like the work he is leading. This collaborative and interdisciplinary approach is a huge part of what draws the world’s most talented students, postdocs, faculty and others to David’s lab and the many other centers of discovery and innovation at our great public University.
David’s visionary exploration has helped revolutionize the field of protein design, and he and his team are developing new proteins to address some of the most pressing problems we face as a species and a planet. Potential applications for designed proteins range from new vaccines, antivirals and cancer treatments; to new ways of sequestering carbon and harmful greenhouse gasses; to breaking down environmental pollutants, among many others.
Through this kind of work, the Institute for Protein Design epitomizes our University’s commitment to discovery that creates and accelerates impact for the public good. David’s achievements underscore what is possible at the intersection of curiosity-driven research and translating basic research into real world impact, helping to attract the next generation of talented researchers to the UW. It also shows how powerful public and private investment – through government grants and philanthropic support – can be in advancing scientific discovery.
The Nobel Prize is the latest of many prestigious honors awarded to David for his scientific contributions, including the 2021 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences and being named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Health. He is also a Seattle native, a graduate of Garfield High School, and he is the son of not one, but two UW faculty members!
I know you will join me in congratulating David on this incredible honor, and in celebrating the impact of his achievements in expanding human knowledge and progress for a healthier, more sustainable world.