Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology Seminar
Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Neil King, PhD

Associate Professor, Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington

Neil King studied Biomedical Engineering as an undergraduate at Northwestern University, followed by graduate studies in Biochemistry in the lab of Todd Yeates at UCLA. During his postdoc with David Baker at UW, he pioneered the development of general computational methods for the design of self-assembling proteins with atomic-level accuracy. He joined UW’s Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design as a Translational Investigator in 2014 before transitioning to Assistant Professor in July 2017. His group develops computational methods for designing functional protein nanomaterials for medical applications, focusing on structure-based vaccine design and biologics delivery. King also co-founded Icosavax and chaired its scientific advisory board until the company was acquired by AstraZeneca in 2024.

The King Lab develops general computational methods for designing new protein nanomaterials with atomic-level accuracy, with a focus on structures suited for applications in medicine, particularly structure-based vaccine design and targeted delivery of biologics. The lab characterizes the designed materials using a variety of biochemical, biophysical, and structural methods to confirm them as novel starting points for functionalization and to validate and improve our design methods. They are currently working on methods to i) increase the complexity of the architectures accessible to design, ii) genetically encode the ability to sense and respond to environmental changes, and iii) incorporate functional elements into our designed materials.

Details

Dates
May 13, 2025
Time
10:00-11:00am PDT
Location
Gladstone Mahley Auditorium & Online
Contact(s)







The Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology Seminar Series showcases speakers at the intersection of genomic technology and immunology research with an aim to engineer the human immune system for therapeutic benefit. Speakers span technology development, synthetic biology, bioengineering, and the development and clinical application of immunotherapy. These talks are open to the Gladstone and UCSF communities.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Gladstone, we are committed to providing events and professional development activities that resonate with our community’s diverse members. Our goal is to develop creative programming that encompasses a wide variety of ideas and perspectives to inspire, educate, and engage with everyone within our walls.

We want to effect positive change through our events and activities by providing a platform for discussions on important topics related to increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the sciences.