Nathan J. Baird

Nathan J. Baird serves as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Previously interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (2023-2024), he also held administrative roles including interim dean at University of the Sciences and interim chair of the Chemistry Department, focusing on faculty support and curricular innovation.

His educational background includes:

• BS in Chemistry and Spanish from Wheaton College
• PhD in Chemistry from the University of Chicago
• Postdoctoral training at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Dr. Baird's research pioneers RNA-targeted drug discovery through interdisciplinary approaches at the chemistry-biology interface. His lab develops high-throughput screening assays for structured RNAs and characterizes RNA-ligand interactions using structural biology, aiming to create therapeutic leads for diseases involving RNA dysregulation. This work addresses the under-explored potential of RNA as a drug target.

Analysis of his 2015-2019 publications reveals consistent focus on MALAT1 RNA structure, triple helix dynamics, and RNA-small molecule screening methodologies. His research integrates chemical biology, structural analysis, and high-throughput techniques to advance RNA-targeted therapeutics and synthetic biology tools.

Scientific awards: None mentioned in source material.

Dr. Baird leads research grant initiatives and student mentorship, though specific projects and advisees aren't detailed. His administrative leadership demonstrates commitment to pedagogical innovation and faculty development within academic communities.

His laboratory employs a two-phase methodology: first developing conformational-change detection assays for RNA-small molecule interactions, then using structural characterization to iteratively design improved ligands. This approach targets pervasive transcription phenomena for novel therapeutic applications.