Valerie Daggett, David and Nancy Auth Endowed Professor in Bioengineering, has been interested in the folding and unfolding of proteins since attending college at Reed College and graduate school at the University of California San Francisco. Her passion was further fueled by her post-doctoral work at Stanford University under the mentorship of structural biology professor Michael Levitt who won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
When Daggett arrived at the UW in 1993, she launched her research program to conduct computational work simulating the folding and unfolding of proteins. In a small lab her research team focused on amyloidogenic proteins that form abnormal aggregates that have been associated with diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and type 2 diabetes. A key breakthrough involved uncovering the molecular trigger of neurodegenerative diseases and investigating potential therapeutic approaches. They transitioned from computational work to hands-on laboratory experiments, testing their findings in real-world scenarios. The results were highly promising, ultimately leading to the development of a precise method for detecting misfolded proteins.
This important discovery led Daggett to work with CoMotion, the technology transfer office and innovation hub at the UW. CoMotion collaborates with the UW community throughout their innovation journey, offering resources, networks and expertise to turn ideas into tangible economic and societal impact. Daggett’s work with CoMotion helped her to patent the work in 2018, form her spinoff company, AltPep, and find investors to expand its testing and development. Now in a state-of-the-art laboratory in South Lake Union, Daggett’s team of researchers have developed a platform that allows for both early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s 10 to 20 years before a person shows signs of cognitive decline.
Read more about her research and partnership with CoMotion in the UW Magazine article.