From Lab to Lifesaving Therapies: How UW’s IPD Is Reimagining Global Health

The University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD), led by Nobel laureate Dr. David Baker, is reshaping biotechnology by using artificial intelligence to create new proteins that could transform medicine and global health. MSTP student, Christina Savvides is central to this work, who joined the Baker Lab in 2024 for its groundbreaking research.

Ms. Savvides is currently working on protein design to provide hopeful options to patient’s diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis that have no treatment options. She describes the current treatment options for this painful autoimmune disorder as a “sledgehammer” approach, her end goal is to find the key to target just the immune system and avoid any collateral damage to tissues and organs. The Baker lab was fortunate enough to receive philanthropic gifts that have pushed this research forward. The institute’s discoveries have already produced a COVID‑19 vaccine authorized abroad and are driving new approaches to treating cancer, autoimmune diseases, drug resistant infections and more. The UW is launching a major initiative to support students like Christina Savvides, emphasizing that sustained investment is critical to keeping lifesaving protein design innovations moving forward.

Read the full UW Medicine article: UW Institute for Protein Design finds better treatments for cancer and beyond with AI-enabled work | UW Magazine — University of Washington Magazine