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Fred Hutch Cancer Center has received a $2 million gift from philanthropists Bob and Pat Herbold to create the Bob and Pat Herbold Computational Biology Endowed Chair. This investment will permanently fund the leadership role of the Bob and Pat Herbold Computational Biology Program. These funds will be used to support researchers who are using the field of computational biology to find new cures for cancer.
This generous donation from the Herbolds reaffirms their commitment to the program, which they initially helped establish with a $1.5 million gift to Fred Hutch in 2005. The current program leader is Phil Bradley, PhD, who will now hold this esteemed position. Bradley is a world-renowned leader in the field of de novo 3D protein design.
About the Herbold Computational Biology Program
It takes a forward-thinking philanthropist to truly grasp the possibilities that exist within computational biology. Bob Herbold, a former chief operating officer at Microsoft, was one of those visionaries who understood the potential nearly two decades ago and realized his commitment could help bring this emerging area of research forward more rapidly.
“The original gift that formed the Herbold Computational Biology Program was motivated by discussions I had with [Nobel laureate] Lee Hartwell in 2005 when he was leading Fred Hutch,” said Bob Herbold. “We both believed that biology was becoming more and more quantifiable, and thus computational tools and powerful statistics had a growing role in uncovering the secrets of cancer. That fundamental thinking also led to the most recent gift.”
Bob Herbold’s wife, Pat Herbold, a former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, has also been highly invested in the research, watching the program grow and knowing what it could one day mean for people with cancer.
“The prime focus of the gift is to help ensure that the Herbold Computational Biology Program remains strong and well-funded into the future, enabling it to continue to impact Fred Hutch’s efforts to conquer cancer,” she said.
What is computational biology?
Computational biology is a field of study that requires both extraordinary as well as determined scientific minds. While to most people the analyses and findings in this field appear as a bewildering array of indecipherable code, symbols, unpronounceable scientific nomenclature and complex, incomprehensible graphs and 3D models, to a computational biologist they look like clues that could unlock new cures for cancer.
As an example of specific work in computational biology, Bradley and his team study proteins — the building blocks of all biological processes — and how they achieve their forms and interact with other molecules. The computational tools available to them facilitate the design of new proteins not found in nature in order to study and predict their behavior.
Not all that long ago, scientists were only able to study proteins using cost- and time-intensive chemical “wet lab” experiments. But today, using the latest iteration of an artificial intelligence-powered program called AlphaFold and other technology tools, computational biologists never need to don lab coats nor venture near a test tube or microscope. This means they can analyze and predict protein behavior in hours instead of months and simulate experiments, which reduces trial and error, and relatedly, reduces costs significantly.
“I am very thankful and appreciative of these funds, and one thing I’m particularly excited about is that they are flexible,” said Bradley. “Research is the clear and obvious use, but we can also use these resources to strengthen and grow the program. For instance, if a student needs funds to go to a conference or hold a symposium here, we will now be able to financially support those efforts.”
In addition to studying proteins, Bradley, who holds a PhD in mathematics from MIT, will continue his work building Rosetta, a leading software tool that allows researchers to design protein structures and predict their interactions.
A well-integrated program
Garnet Anderson, PhD, senior vice president and director of the Public Health Sciences Division, has known and observed the work of the Herbold Computational Biology Program over the years. Anderson holds the Fred Hutch 40th Anniversary Endowed Chair.
“Computational Biology is the program within Fred Hutch that is most integrated across the whole center — no other group has such broad implications,” she explained. “Phil keeps all these people working together and supporting each other. Additionally, he is a thoughtful, generous and humble leader. He’s focused on the junior faculty and getting them set up on the path towards success.”
Endowments support ongoing research — and give hope
Endowing a chair is a means of providing ongoing funding for a faculty member, or the work of a group, such as the Herbolds have done by funding the leader position of the Herbold Computational Biology Group. At Fred Hutch, donors can choose to endow a chair for a gift of $2 million or more. Fred Hutch currently has 41 endowed chairs. Endowed chairs provide sustained, flexible support and promote forward-looking research.
“Endowments are an investment in the future of Fred Hutch,” said Fred Hutch President and Director Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD, holder of the Raisbeck Endowed Chair. “Every day, patients diagnosed with cancer come to us because they need hope. Endowments from donors like the Herbolds are the engine that drives the breakthroughs they need.”
Bob Herbold added that it has been profoundly rewarding to watch the Herbold Computational Biology Program thrive.
“Since its inception, the program has grown significantly, and the program faculty have garnered numerous accolades. Originally starting with just five faculty members, the program now consists of 20. Importantly, we have been really impressed by the incredible talent that have been recruited to join the group year after year.”
