When Proteins Move: Woody Sherman on Computational Chemistry, Molecular Simulation, and the Future of AI in Drug Discovery

Check out the next episode of our podcast, Under the Surface. In episode 16, When Proteins Move: Woody Sherman on Computational Chemistry, Molecular Simulation, and the Future of AI in Drug Discovery, we chat with Woody Sherman, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at PsiThera, and a longtime leader in computational chemistry, about how he went from studying quantum polymers to shaping modern tools like Induced Fit Docking.

Woody shares the moment that pulled him into protein simulations, his early exposure to AI at MIT, and how an internship at Biogen set him on the path to industry. He also reflects on his years at Schrödinger, building solutions, writing code, and learning how to solve real problems for scientists.

Topics: How application scientists help connect research with real-world industry needs

Woody's journey from university research to starting Silicon Therapeutics

How tools like induced fit docking were created

How drug discovery platforms have changed over time

What's different between working in industry and in academia

What's next for open molecular software and AI working together

(02:05) Why mentorship matters for scientists

(04:15) Woody's path through school and research

(09:10) Shifting into custom molecular simulations

(12:00) Going from the academic world to industry