UW Biochemist David Baker receives Nobel prize in Chemistry

University of Washington biochemist and professor David Baker has won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering work in designing new proteins that can neutralize viruses, target cancer cells, and more. Photo courtesy University of Washington

Computational biologist David Baker, professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine and director of the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design.

He shares the Nobel Prize with Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper of DeepMind, who were honored for protein structure prediction.

The award, announced October 9, 2024 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, will be presented in a ceremony Dec. 10.

"Joining the ranks of Nobel Laureates is a testament to David Baker's dedication and innovation," said University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce. 

"The University of Washington is proud to be a place that fosters groundbreaking and impactful research, and extends its heartfelt congratulations to David on this remarkable recognition."

“I am thrilled that David Baker has been named a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry,” said Dr. Timothy Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the UW School of Medicine. “His relentless pursuit of excellence and visionary approach to protein science has helped crack the code for understanding protein structure."

Dellit added, "David’s success in harnessing the power of computational protein design to deepen our understanding of protein prediction and design has allowed for the creation of novel proteins to tackle some of the greatest challenges in medicine, technology, and sustainability.”

Proteins are the workhorses of biology, essential for countless cellular functions. Baker and his colleagues have for decades used computing power to learn how long chains of chemicals called amino acids fold into protein structures. The resulting 3-D shapes of protein molecules determines how they function in living systems and is important for understanding biology and developing new medicines.

Recently, artificial intelligence has been tapped by Baker and others to predict protein structures with unprecedented accuracy and speed. This has greatly expanded scientists’ ability to model the building blocks of life.

Baker is also known for collaborating on the development of an online video puzzle game called "Foldit” with colleagues at the UW Center for Game Science. This game enables people with no background in science to help solve protein structure problems. 

More than 400,000 people have played the game, and Foldit players have been named as co-authors in some of Baker’s published work. These citizen scientists have contributed to research on a wide range of medical challenges including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and the Ebola virus.

Baker has worked on designing new proteins not found in nature, including molecules that carry out specific tasks. His lab has created new proteins that neutralize viruses, target cancer cells, and even serve as catalysts for chemical reactions. His research contributed to the development of the world’s first computationally designed protein medicine, a vaccine for COVID-19 pioneered by colleagues at UW Medicine.

To date, Baker has published more than 640 peer-reviewed research papers, been awarded over 100 patents, and co-founded 21 biotechnology companies. Ninety of his doctoral and postdoctoral trainees have gone on to independent faculty positions. 

His dedication to open science has fostered a collaborative community of researchers worldwide, and he has ensured that the most advanced tools and insights developed through his work are shared freely to accelerate scientific discovery.

Baker was recently named one of the 100 Most Influential People in health by TIME and a Clarivate Citation Laureate for the influence of his published research on the work of other scientists. STAT News also listed Baker among its 50 influential leaders and changemakers in the life sciences in 2024.

He is the Henrietta and Aubrey Davis Endowed Professor in Biochemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at UW Medicine. He is member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Baker, 62, was born in Seattle and grew up not far from the University of Washington campus. Both his parents were UW faculty members. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University in 1984 and earned his doctorate in biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1989 under Randy Schekman, who won a Nobel Prize in 2013. 

Baker completed his postdoctoral training in biophysics with David Agard at the University of California, San Francisco, in 1993. Baker has been a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine since 1993.

He is married to UW Medicine biochemist Hannele Ruohola-Baker, a noted stem-cell biology researcher. They are the parents of a daughter, Amanda, and a son, Benjamin. In his free time, Baker is an avid hiker.

Baker is the eighth University of Washington faculty member to receive a Nobel Prize. He is the sixth Nobel Laureate from the UW School of Medicine. Those six include three whose primary affiliation was with Fred Hutch Cancer Center (Linda Buck, E. Donnall Thomas and Leland "Lee" Hartwell).

Past UW Nobel Laureates:

1. 2016 – David Thouless, Physics (deceased)
2. 2004 – Linda B. Buck, Physiology and Medicine (Affiliate Faculty)
3. 2001 – Leland H. Hartwell, Physiology and Medicine (former faculty)
4. 1992 – Edmond Henri Fischer, Physiology and Medicine (deceased)
5. 1992 – Edwin G. Krebs, Physiology and Medicine (deceased)
6. 1990 – E. Donnall Thomas, Physiology and Medicine (deceased)
7. 1989 – Hans Georg Dehmelt, Physics (deceased)