Dr. Michael W Deem: A Fascinating Journey of Achievements and Challenges

Updated: Aug 28, 2023

Dr. Michael W Deem is an award winning and world-renowned scientist. He is currently a venture capitalist and CEO. He was formerly an Entrepreneur in Residence with Khosla Ventures. From 2002 to 2020 he was a professor at Rice University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1991 from Caltech. From the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Deem obtained his Ph.D. in 1994 in chemical engineering. He held a postdoctoral position at Harvard University in the field of Physics. He joined the faculty at UCLA in 1996 as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. In 2002, Dr. Deem joined Rice University as the John W Cox professor of Bioengineering and Physics & Astronomy.

The respect Michael W Deem has garnered over the years has been the result of his contributions to the scientific and business communities. Among his most notable accomplishments, Michael Deem would help to revolutionize the influenza vaccine during his time at Rice University. A respected entrepreneur, Michael W Deem has been the CEO of several companies, such as Certus LLC, focusing on advancing medical breakthroughs. During his career, Michael W Deem has acted as a mentor, for students, CEOs, and businesses alike. Much as in his academic endeavors, Michael W Deem has found success in his professional businesses.

Dr. Michael W Deem is a distinguished US Scientist who was previously a John W Cox Professor of Bioengineering, Physics and Astronomy at Rice University. He is renowned for his work in the field of theoretical and computational biology and has made significant contributions to research in infectious diseases, evolution, cancer and protein folding.

During the course of his career, Dr. Deem has been the recipient of many honors, most notably being the UCLA Northrop Grumman Outstanding Junior Faculty Research Award (1997); Visiting Professor, University of Amsterdam (1999); A Top 100 Young Innovator, MIT’s Technology Review (November 1999) (Profile); Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2000); Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2002); John W. Cox Professor, Rice University (2002-2020); Allan P. Colburn Award (2004); Editorial Board Member, Protein Engineering, Design and Selection (2005-2018); Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2005); Member, Board of Directors, Biomedical Engineering Society (2005-2008); Fellow, American Physical Society (2006); Member, Rice University Faculty Senate (2006-2009); Vaughan Lectureship, California Institute of Technology (2007); Member, Nominating Committee, Division of Biological Physics, American Physical Society (2007); Member, Board of Governors, Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (2007-2016); Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society (2009); BMES Representative on the FASEB Publications & Communications Committee (2009-2012); Professional Progress Award (2010); Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2010); External Scientific Advisor, Princeton Physical Sciences-Oncology Center (2010-present); Associate Editor, Physical Biology (2011-2018); Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award, The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas (2012); Founding Director, Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (2012-2014, raised $0.5M seed funding); Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar (2012-2013); Chair, Department of Bioengineering (2014-2017, raised $12M in external startup funding for new faculty); Editorial Advisory Board, Bioengineering and Translational Medicine, 2016-2018; and Donald W. Breck Award for zeolite science, 2019, NACD Board Leadership Fellow and Directorship Certification, 2020. Entrepreneur in Residence with Khosla Ventures, 2021-2022, General Partner with Smart Health Catalyzer, 2023 to present.

Apart from his work in academia, Michael Deem is an accomplished athlete and has been involved in sports like rock climbing and Taekwondo. He is a three-time national champion in Taekwondo and has represented the United States at the World Championships. His interest in sports has led him to explore the relationship between science and sports and how athletes can benefit from the principles of physics and engineering.

In his research, Michael Deem has made significant contributions to the field of infectious diseases, particularly in the study of HIV. He has developed computational models that provide insights into the evolution of HIV and the development of drug resistance. His research has also focused on the design of effective vaccines and drugs for the treatment of HIV.

In the field of cancer research, Michael Deem has developed models that predict the spread of cancer cells in the body and the effectiveness of various cancer treatments. He has also worked on the development of cancer vaccines and the use of gene therapy to treat cancer.

Michael Deem's work in the field of protein folding has led to the development of algorithms that predict the structure of proteins. This work has important implications for drug discovery, as it allows researchers to design drugs that target specific proteins and diseases.

Apart from his research work, Michael Deem is also a prolific writer and has published over 200 research articles in top scientific journals. He has also written several book chapters on statistical mechanics, viral evolution, and nanoporous materials, which are widely used as reference texts in universities around the world.

In recognition of his contributions to science, Michael Deem has received several awards and honors, including the National Science Foundation's CAREER Award, the Welch Foundation Norman Hackerman Award, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Computing in Chemical Engineering Award.

In conclusion, Dr. Michael W Deem is a prominent US Scientist who has made significant contributions to research in infectious diseases, cancer, protein folding, and thermodynamics. His work has led to the development of computational models that provide insights into the evolution of HIV, the spread of cancer cells, and the design of effective drugs and vaccines. Michael Deem's achievements in both academia and sports make him a unique and inspiring individual, whose work has had a profound impact on the scientific community.

Dr. Michael W Deem: A Fascinating Journey of Achievements and Challenges

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