From the Bomb to the Nobel Prize: Bainbridge’s own Dr. Fred Ramsdell Explains the Latest Concepts on Autoimmune Disease at Open Mic Science May 12 at the Lynwood Theatre

You may already know the story. Bainbridge Island’s Fred Ramsdell, a 64-year-old immunologist, was hiking off the grid in the Wyoming/Montana area of the Rocky Mountains last fall when he learned he won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with colleagues Mary Brunkow and Shimon Sakaguchi. He was recognized for discovering what scientists call “regulatory T cells (“T-regs”) that treat autoimmune diseases.” Ramsdell’s journey spanned from a California community college to 25 years of research.

Open Mic Science is a community event that invites ordinary citizens to explore all aspects of science and technology in an informal, social setting. Talks are held the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at The Treehouse Café. Participants can enjoy pizza and beer while staying abreast of current knowledge in science and technology. Open Mic Science is based on the principles of Cafe Scientifique and is committed to the public understanding of science. All that is needed, say organizers, is some “intellectual curiosity”. There’s no specific scientific knowledge needed. All talks are free. Backers moved Ramsdell’s talk to the theatre because they are expecting a larger turnout.

“Fred Ramsdell’s work opens fascinating windows into the working of the human immune system, and into potential treatments for the many diseases that can arise when the immune system misbehaves, such as diabetes, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and some forms of arthritis and thyroid disease,” says Dr. Howie Frumkin, a physician-epidemiologist specializing in environmental health.  “It’s a special treat to have a scientist of Fred’s caliber living on the island and sharing his insights with fellow islanders.”

Among other topics, Ramsdell will discuss the work that resulted in the 2025 Nobel Prize: the basic mechanisms by which our immune system responds to pathogens without, in most cases, attacking our own tissues, and the implications of this work for the development of a new therapeutic paradigm.

At the time of the Nobel Prize announcement, Ramsdell – who earned his doctorate in microbiology and immunology from UCLA in 1987 -was on a trek with his wife in the Rocky Mountains, without cellphone coverage. He didn’t find out about the honor until nearly 12 hours had passed. His employer, Sonoma Biotherapeutics, issued a statement that Ramsdell “was living his best life and was off the grid on a preplanned hiking trip”.

“I certainly didn’t expect to win the Nobel Prize,” he told the New York Times from a hotel in Montana once he’d regained reception. “It never even crossed my mind. … I was just grateful and humbled by getting the award, super happy for the recognition of the work in general and just looking forward to sharing this with my colleagues, as well.”

► Read the full story on Ramsdell’s “missed” Nobel phone call in the New York Time

After earning a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and cell biology from UC San Diego, Ramsdell went to UCLA in 1983 to study microbiology and immunology at UCLA’s medical school under the mentorship of Sidney Golub, now a professor at UC Irvine. In 1995, the microbiology and immunology program merged with the molecular genetics program in the UCLA College Division of Life Sciences.

“I fell in love with immunology in college,” Ramsdell said after receiving the prestigious Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 2017. “It touches so many aspects of our biology that I felt like it was an important thing to work on.”

Following his 1987 Ph.D. at UCLA, Ramsdell went on to a fellowship with the National Institutes of Health before joining the biopharmaceutical company Immunex, where his research focused on T cell activation and tolerance and gene discovery, according to a UCLA press release. He then established an immunology program at the biotechnology company Darwin Molecular. Ramsdell subsequently held positions at ZymoGenetics and Novo Nordisk and was chief scientific officer at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. He currently serves on the scientific advisory board for Sonoma Biotherapeutics.

• The Breakthrough: Ramsdell and his colleagues identified that regulatory T cells (a subset of immune cells) act as “peacekeepers” that prevent the immune system from attacking the body’s own tissues.
• Impact: This research has revolutionized treatment for autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, MS, and Crohn’s disease, and has opened doors to new cancer and stem-cell therapies.
• Development: While the fundamental discovery happened decades ago, it took 25 years of research—later involving companies like Sonoma Biotherapeutics—to make these therapies feasible.

• Unconventional Academic Path: Ramsdell was an average student who attended community college, worked full-time, and transferred to UC San Diego, where he became interested in immunology through Professor Dick Dutton.
• Early Research: He was not a stereotypical science enthusiast in college, enjoying sports and theater, and he never received straight A’s throughout his education.
• Focus on Utility: Ramsdell’s guiding principle in science was to do things that were both interesting and had practical, real-world utility.

• Offline in the Rockies: On the day of the announcement, Ramsdell was on the last day of a three-week hiking trip in Wyoming with his wife, Laura O’Neill, and their dogs.
• The Reaction: Upon getting back in touch with cell service in Montana, his wife’s phone “blew up” with hundreds of messages. He was walking the dogs when she told him, initially thinking she saw a grizzly bear rather than winning the Nobel.
• Celebration: They celebrated with beer and food at an Irish pub in a small town in southern Montana after finally reaching civilization.

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