Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

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Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Colorado Boulder

Ph.D., Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2009)

B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Richmond (2003)

Dr. Lewis’ research interests focus on the specificity of interactions between biological macromolecules, in particular the protein-protein and protein-RNA assemblies that regulate translation. One of the LewisKA Lab’s major projects is to characterize the structure and functions of the RNA-binding protein LaRP6 using a comparative phylogenetic-biochemical approach. A related project is pursuing an integrated biophysical analysis of the role of phase separation in regulating the function of nucleic acid-binding proteins, using both computational and experimental methods.

Dr. Lewis is the director of two undergraduate training programs, the NIH-funded Texas State U-RISE Program and NSF-supported CheMIE REU. Both programs prepare students from marginalized populations for graduate school and careers in the chemical and biomedical sciences through integrated laboratory research experiences and professional development.