David Baker is a Co-Founder of GenBio AI and a Nobel laureate whose work has fundamentally shaped modern protein science and computational biology. He is a Professor of Biochemistry, an HHMI Investigator, and the Director of the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, where his laboratory develops computational and machine learning methods for designing novel proteins with applications in medicine, technology, and sustainability.
David’s research has pioneered the field of computational protein design, enabling the creation of entirely new proteins with tailored functions. His recent work integrates large-scale machine learning approaches to generate functional proteins, laying critical foundations for AI-driven biological design and discovery.
In addition to his primary appointment, David serves as an adjunct professor across multiple disciplines at the University of Washington, including genome sciences, bioengineering, chemical engineering, computer science, and physics. He has authored more than 650 scientific publications, holds over 100 patents, and has co-founded 21 biotechnology companies. More than 100 of his trainees have gone on to independent faculty positions.
David is the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Health.
He earned his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral research in biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco.
Biography
David Baker is a Co-Founder of GenBio AI and a Nobel laureate whose work has fundamentally shaped modern protein science and computational biology. He is a Professor of Biochemistry, an HHMI Investigator, and the Director of the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, where his laboratory develops computational and machine learning methods for designing novel proteins with applications in medicine, technology, and sustainability.
David’s research has pioneered the field of computational protein design, enabling the creation of entirely new proteins with tailored functions. His recent work integrates large-scale machine learning approaches to generate functional proteins, laying critical foundations for AI-driven biological design and discovery.
In addition to his primary appointment, David serves as an adjunct professor across multiple disciplines at the University of Washington, including genome sciences, bioengineering, chemical engineering, computer science, and physics. He has authored more than 650 scientific publications, holds over 100 patents, and has co-founded 21 biotechnology companies. More than 100 of his trainees have gone on to independent faculty positions.
David is the recipient of numerous honors, including the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Health.
He earned his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and completed postdoctoral research in biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco.