Your front-row seat to the human side of science. Hosted by Nobel laureate David Baker (https://www.ipd.uw.edu/david-baker/), we invite you to hear from real people at the forefront of AI, biology, chemistry, and physics. From moments of doubt to breakthroughs that change everything, these stories prove that great science isn’t just about what you find — it’s about who you become along the way.
Protein design pioneer David Baker has trained hundreds of scientists, published over 650 research papers, and launched more than 20 biotech companies. The Baker Lab (https://www.bakerlab.org/) at the University of Washington has become a hub for groundbreaking ideas and world-changing discoveries. Now, through this podcast, David is turning the spotlight onto the people who make it all happen. If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to expand the frontier of knowledge, The Baker Lab Podcast is for you.
Doing research over the summer as an undergraduate is a great way to experience what life is like as a scientist. In this episode, you’ll hear from students who visited us last summer to advance computational and laboratory experiments. The podcast team’s very own Nathan Greenwood also shares his story from a summer student to a mentor. // This podcast was produced at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington School of Medicine by Ian Haydon, Roni Weissman, Enisha Sehgal, Nora McNamara-Bordewick, Riti Biswas, Johnny Mendoza, and Joe Min. // Music by Kevin MacLeod.
1 Oct 2025
Not Believing That I Cannot - Parisa Hosseinzadeh
As a new professor with a newborn, Parisa suffered a stroke that left her unable to walk or talk. She leaned on love and stubbornness to recover her voice, raise her child, lead her lab, and even run a 5k foot trace. This episode traces her remarkable journey from growing up in Iran to starting a lab at the University of Oregon, and from sudden setbacks to lasting resilience. // This podcast was produced at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington School of Medicine by Ian Haydon, Roni Weissman, Enisha Sehgal, Nora McNamara-Bordewick, Riti Biswas, Joe Min, and Nathan Forest Greenwood. // Music by Kevin MacLeod.
1 Aug 2025
9: From Student to Professor - Linna An
When is it time to walk away from a research project? For Linna, it happened after a year of frustrating experiments — when her PhD advisor helped her reframe what it means to do science well. In this episode, Linna traces her path from chemistry student to computational biologist. Now ready to mentor others, she will soon lead a research lab of her own as a new professor. We explore how machine learning is transforming what enzymes can do and get into the emotional side of science, the future of therapeutic enzymes, and what it really takes to build a supportive lab environment. You can check out her new lab here: https://lanalchemist.github.io (https://lanalchemist.github.io/) // This podcast was produced at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington School of Medicine by Ian Haydon, Roni Weissman, Enisha Sehgal, Nora McNamara-Bordewick, Riti Biswas, Joe Min, and Nathan Forest Greenwood. // Music by Kevin MacLeod.
5 Jun 2025
8: Composing Complexity - Arvind Pillai
Postdoctoral scholar Arvind Pillai discusses his journey from paleoart to protein design, highlighting the complexities of scientific discovery and the evolution of his perspective in an interview with the Baker Lab Podcast.
7 May 2025
7: Winning iGEM, Building Companies - Ingrid Swanson Pultz
Launching UW’s first iGEM team changed the course of Ingrid’s career. Her team built an enzyme to digest gluten that took first place in the biotech competition — and fueled a new company. Hear Ingrid explain what it takes to translate scientific breakthroughs into real products and companies. // This podcast was produced at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington School of Medicine by Ian Haydon, Roni Weissman, Enisha Sehgal, Nora McNamara-Bordewick, Riti Biswas, Joe Min, and Nathan Forest Greenwood. // Music by Kevin MacLeod and Ingrid's college band, The Wild Types.
5 Apr 2025
6: Reprogramming Life - Yuliya Politanska
Yuliya Politanska’s path to science began with onion cells and a microscope in her hometown of Chernivtsi, Ukraine. As a teen, she moved to the U.S. and grew comfortable speaking English only after propping a dictionary right next to her textbooks. Now a third-year PhD student in the lab, Yuliya is designing custom proteins that bind to DNA to control how cells behave—work that could one day help repair diseased or damaged tissue. In this episode, Yuliya shares her story of resilience, curiosity, and reinvention: from working in an ambulance to finding confidence in a massive research lab. Along the way, we explore the concept of cellular plasticity—and how people, like cells, can totally transform when placed in new environments. // This podcast was produced at the Institute for Protein Design (https://www.ipd.uw.edu/) at the University of Washington School of Medicine by Ian Haydon, Roni Weissman, Enisha Sehgal, Nora McNamara-Bordewick, Riti Biswas, Joe Min, and Nathan Forest Greenwood. // Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/).
12 Mar 2025
5: Exploring Molecular Frontiers - Alexis Courbet
Centuries ago, explorers set sail across vast oceans. Today, scientists like Alexis Courbet are navigating uncharted waters at the nanoscale. As a researcher at the Institute for Protein Design, Alexis is building molecular machines unlike any seen before—creating nanoscale sensors and protein-based rotors that move with atomic precision. Whether designing molecules or mapping out his next mountaineering adventure with David Baker, he approaches every frontier with the same curiosity and drive to understand the unknown. // This podcast was produced at the Institute for Protein Design (https://www.ipd.uw.edu/) at the University of Washington School of Medicine by Ian Haydon, Roni Weissman, Enisha Sehgal, Nora McNamara-Bordewick, Riti Biswas, Joe Min, and Nathan Forest Greenwood. // Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/).
6 Feb 2025
4: Inside the Nobel Prize - Ian Haydon
Winning a Nobel Prize is a rare and extraordinary achievement—but what happens behind the scenes? In this episode, David Baker takes us inside his journey to Stockholm, from preparing his Nobel lecture to delivering it on science’s biggest stage. Hear clips from practice talks, reflections from trainees who were there, and David’s thoughts on what the prize really means. But that’s only half the story. The second half of this episode follows a different kind of journey—one from the lab bench to the world of science communication. Podcast co-host Ian Haydon shares how he went from being a student in David’s lab to leading science communications at the Institute for Protein Design. What drives someone to step away from research and focus on sharing science with the world? And why does it matter? Join us for an episode about the people who power science, the impact of storytelling, and what it’s like to experience a Nobel moment up close. // This podcast was produced by the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington School of Medicine. // Music by Kevin MacLeod and John Woods.
7 Dec 2024
3: Cures and Community - Jeremiah Sims
Jeremiah Sims, an MD/PhD trainee, shares how his research with David Baker outsmarts viruses and his passion for public health empowers Black communities through music and mentorship.
30 Oct 2024
2: The Courage to Create - Susana Vazquez Torres
Susana Vazquez Torres embodies courage. Born in Mexico, she moved to a big city to study science — and then crossed continents twice to advance her studies. Unfamiliar cultures, language barriers, and imposter syndrome were all part of her journey. But with support from labmates and others, Susana found her footing and joined the Baker Lab (https://www.bakerlab.org/) for her PhD studies. Here, she’s used AI to create antitoxins for snakebites. These pioneering treatments could one day save the lives and limbs of farmers just like her grandparents. Susana’s story shows that stepping far out of your comfort zone isn’t just brave — it’s often the first step toward changing the world. Join us as we explore how courage and innovation come together to make a life in science. // This podcast was produced by the Institute for Protein Design (https://www.ipd.uw.edu/) at the University of Washington School of Medicine. // Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com/) and Taylor Lidsky.
25 Sept 2024
1: From Refugee to Scientist: Curiosity Beyond Borders – Mohamad Abedi
Born a Palestinian refugee, Mohamad Abedi didn’t have the luxury of exploring science as a kid. But at 17, when he unexpectedly immigrated to the United States, he discovered that learning could be a creative and transformative process. This led him to pursue degrees in biomedical engineering and eventually to his current research on cellular communication and drug development as a postdoctoral scholar in the lab. In this episode, Mohamad shares his perspective on what it means to be a good scientist and how he found his way into science without it ever being one of his childhood dreams. Through his story, we explore how struggles — both inside and outside of science — can shape a journey and spark creativity in unexpected ways.
This podcast was produced by the Institute for Protein Design (https://www.ipd.uw.edu/) at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
25 Sept 2024
0: Welcome to The Baker Lab Podcast
Your front-row seat to the human side of science.
Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com (http://incompetech.com)). Licensed under CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
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