Valerie Daggett

Valerie Daggett, PhD, is the David and Nancy Auth Endowed Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington and Founder and CEO of AltPep, a spinout company from her lab at UW. With over 30 years of pioneering research in protein dynamics, Dr. Daggett is known for her work developing methods for atomistic molecular simulations and applying those methods to modeling protein unfolding/folding, mapping the ramifications of single-nucleotide polymorphisms, and defining the structural changes associated with amyloidogenesis. Her groundbreaking discovery of the alpha-sheet structure has provided critical insights into how toxic protein oligomers form in amyloid diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type 2 diabetes. The alpha-sheet structure not only defines early molecular triggers of disease, but also opens an opportunity for earlier treatment, potentially decades before symptoms and irreversible damage occur.

Dr. Daggett’s interdisciplinary work, spanning computational and experimental methods and novel protein design, has resulted in a platform technology with broad potential for the diagnosis and treatment of amyloid diseases. She is the author of over 275 scientific publications, holds several patents, and has been nationally recognized as an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Biophysical Society, and the Washington State Academy of Sciences. Her innovative work continues to shape the future of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for devastating neurodegenerative diseases.

As the Founder and CEO of AltPep, Dr. Daggett has led the company in raising $76 million (to date) to advance diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for amyloid diseases. One of AltPep’s key innovations, the SOBA-AD blood test, detects toxic protein oligomers early in the Alzheimer’s disease process with impressive sensitivity and specificity. This breakthrough earned FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, positioning it as a game-changer in the neurodegenerative field. Under Dr. Daggett’s leadership, AltPep is developing therapeutic agents designed to slow or halt the progression of amyloid diseases. The first drug candidate targeting Alzheimer’s disease is now in preclinical development and poised to enter first-in-human clinical trials next year. The underlying technology provides a platform to expand to a range of diseases including Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, systemic amyloidosis, and more.

Dr. Daggett’s entrepreneurial drive and scientific vision have led to AltPep’s rapid growth and recognition, including the 2023 GeekWire Health Innovation of the Year Award, finalist for GeekWire Startup CEO of the Year Award 2024, having SOBA-AD highlighted by NIH as one of 5 promising medical findings in 2023, and the opening of a new lab in Seattle’s South Lake Union biotech hub. Dr. Daggett is also on the Board of Directors of Life Science Washington. Dr. Daggett has skillfully navigated the challenges of the biotech industry, steering AltPep toward critical milestones. Her ability to combine her deep scientific expertise with entrepreneurial leadership has positioned AltPep to transform the future of neurodegenerative disease diagnosis and treatment.

Amyloid diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyloid-beta, toxic oligomers, alpha-sheet, biomarkers, early detection