Lauren is originally from Fort Worth, Texas but has lived in Seattle long enough to be considered a native; she has developed opinions regarding coffee as well as the ability to differentiate between partly sunny and partly cloudy. After graduating from University of Washington with Bachelor’s degrees in Molecular Biology and English Literature, Lauren spent >15 years in Seattle biotech with a focus in Downstream Process Development and an interest in analytical and formulation development.
In 2014 Lauren joined the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington and established the Core Research Labs. After 9 years, the Cores are now >30 FTEs in 10 specialized groups, with a focus on translational support. Lauren has supported process development and tech transfer multiple projects as part of the IPD Translational Program, including designed biologics and nanoparticle vaccines. Recent experience includes development of the first approved computationally designed nanoparticle vaccine for SARS-CoV2 (SkyCovione, South Korea) and a novel anti-COVID minibinder protein (Phase 1 in Q1 2024).
Lauren has also collected a Masters in Pharmaceutical Bioengineering and certificates in Biotech Project Management and Human Resources, all from University of Washington. Hidden talents include pestering vendors/CDMOs, international shipping, and inserting esoteric vocabulary in presentations. She enjoys reading, yoga, embroidery and crochet, the Great British Baking Show, and her golden retrievers Luna and Dexter.