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 // 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.
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8: Composing Complexity - Arvind Pillai
What happens when a kid who sketches dinosaurs grows up to reimagine biology? In this episode, postdoctoral scholar Arvind Pillai traces his unexpected path from paleoart to designing proteins that change shape on command. Along the way, he reflects on the sting of academic rejection, the joy of discovery, and how online debates with creationists sharpened his view of evolution. Arvind’s story explores how complexity emerges — not just in molecules, but in the making of a scientist. // 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.
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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.
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1:16:10
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 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.
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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 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.
Your front-row seat to the human side of science. Hosted by Nobel laureate 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 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.
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