Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM

Scientist Is Recipient of $1.6 Million NIH Research Grant

Friday, June 20, 2014, By Sarah Scalese
Share
College of Arts and SciencesNational Institutes of HealthResearch and Creative

Kate Lewis, an associate professor of biology in The College of Arts and Sciences, has added yet another award to her already extensive list of accolades. Lewis, who earlier this year was awarded a research grant by the Human Frontier Science Program Organization, just received a $1.6 million RO1 research grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Lewis will use the money to study how particular types of nerve cells, called interneurons, are specified in the spinal cord.

Katharine Lewis

Kate Lewis

“To receive an NIH R01 award is a great honor,” says Lewis. “I am particularly excited about this research as it has the potential to facilitate the development of more effective treatments for spinal cord injuries and neuronal diseases that affect locomotion or sensory perception. If our research improves the quality of life for even one person, it will be a job well done.”

The results from this research will significantly increase knowledge about how spinal neurons are specified and form functional neuronal circuits within the spinal cord. “The results should have a huge impact on the fields of developmental neurobiology and neural stem cell biology, leading the way toward new treatments for spinal cord regeneration and repair following traumatic injuries,” says Sandra Hewett, the Beverly Petterson Bishop Professor of Neuroscience and professor of biology. “I am very proud of Kate and congratulate her on this substantive accomplishment.”

Lewis, who previously served as a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, joined Syracuse University’s Department of Biology in 2010. Since arriving at Syracuse she has raised more than $4 million in extramural funding, including grants for her specific lab and collaborative grants with other researchers at SU and internationally. Her research interests include the specification and patterning of spinal cord interneurons, the formation of functional neuronal circuitry and the evolution of spinal cord patterning and function. She earned a Ph.D. from University College London and went on to continue her postdoctoral studies at the University of Oregon.

“Kate continues to make the Department of Biology proud,” says Ramesh Raina, biology professor and chair of the department. “This particular research is especially important work and could unleash a variety of treatments and relief to those suffering from some of the most severe spinal cord injuries and debilitating diseases. I look forward to reading the results of Kate’s latest round of research.”

  • Author

Sarah Scalese

  • Recent
  • DPS Earns Accreditation From International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
    Friday, June 6, 2025, By Kiana Racha
  • Rock Record Illuminates Oxygen History
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By Dan Bernardi
  • What Can Ancient Climate Tell Us About Modern Droughts?
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By News Staff
  • Blackstone LaunchPad Founders Circle Welcomes New Members
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By Cristina Hatem
  • Syracuse Stage Concludes 2024-25 Season With ‘The National Pastime’
    Wednesday, June 4, 2025, By Joanna Penalva

More In STEM

ECS Professor Pankaj K. Jha Receives NSF Grant to Develop Quantum Technology

Detecting single photons—the smallest unit of light—is crucial for advanced quantum technologies such as optical quantum computing, communication and ultra-sensitive imaging. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are the most efficient means of detecting single photons and these detectors can count…

Rock Record Illuminates Oxygen History

Several key moments in Earth’s history help us humans answer the question, “How did we get here?” These moments also shed light on the question, “Where are we going?,” offering scientists deeper insight into how organisms adapt to physical and…

What Can Ancient Climate Tell Us About Modern Droughts?

Climate change is reshaping the global water cycle, disrupting rainfall patterns and putting growing pressure on cities and ecosystems. Some regions are grappling with heavier rainfall and flooding, while others face prolonged droughts that threaten public health, disrupt economies and…

University’s Dynamic Sustainability Lab and Ireland’s BiOrbic Sign MOU to Advance Markets for the Biobased Economy

This month at the All Island Bioeconomy Summit held in Co. Meath, Ireland, it was announced that BiOrbic, Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy, comprising 12 leading Irish research universities in Ireland, signed a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dynamic Sustainability…

Professor Bing Dong Named as the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The College of Engineering and Computer Science has named Bing Dong as the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This endowed professorship is made possible by a 1998 gift from the late Fritz Traugott H’98 and his wife, Frances….

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.