Point Man On Protein Science

As an academic biochemist, Timothy Springer has authored original insights on the structure, function and interactions of biomedically important proteins: one 1990 paper, on the cell recognition molecules that drive immune response, has been cited in peer review more than 10,000 times. His work has shaped medical practice in key fields like immunology, inflammation, hematology and infectious diseases, accomplishments reflected in the clinic through at least four blockbuster drugs, all now available to patients worldwide. Though a skeptic at first, Springer has also emerged as a savvy start-up entrepreneur, earning outsize returns as a founder and investor in seven biotech companies, gains he has now applied as an advocacy philanthropist testing new business models to plug research silos, address unmet medical needs and promote the open-source dissemination of knowledge.

All told, Springer has the receptive mind of a true explorer: who else could relate the physical properties of a...