“If you build it, they will come,” says John Wood of Baylor’s 508,000‑square‑foot Baylor Sciences Building (BSB), an elite facility that houses Baylor’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry alongside other science disciplines. A nationally recognized leader in organic synthesis whose work contributes to drug leads for cancer and numerous other diseases, Wood speaks from inside his BSB research lab about his department’s continued growth—ranging from advances in understanding disease to expanding work in materials chemistry and beyond. He also reflects on the collaborative environment the BSB enables and shares why mentorship remains a passion as he and his colleagues nurture resilient, creative future problem‑solvers.
