Dr. Lewis Kay studies how molecular motion shapes health and disease
MoGen in the News
Lewis Kay feeds protein molecules into a giant magnet in his U of T lab (photo by Polina Teif)
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MoGen News
Dr. Lewis Kay, professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, has spent his career improving how scientists study proteins. A senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children, Kay develops nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods that allow researchers to measure both the structure of proteins and how they move in real time.
In 2002, Kay introduced new approaches that extended how long NMR signals could be detected. This advance enabled scientists to study protein complexes much larger than had previously been possible. Many of these large complexes carry out essential work in cells, including folding proteins and organizing DNA.
A key focus of Kay’s research is protein motion. Proteins are constantly moving, they twist and shift between shapes, sometimes for only milliseconds. These brief forms can matter. In some cases, drugs bind to one of these rare shapes rather than the main structure. In others, disease-related mutations change how easily a protein transitions between states. Kay’s lab developed methods to detect and measure these hard-to-observe forms, even when they represent less than one per cent of the total molecules in a sample.
More recently, Kay has combined NMR data with computational tools such as AlphaFold, an artificial intelligence–driven software system created by Google. By integrating experimental measurements with predictive models, his group is building a clearer picture of how proteins behave and how their movements relate to health and disease.
Kay’s work has been recognized with major honours, including the Canada Gairdner International Award and the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal. After more than 30 years at U of T, he continues to work closely with trainees and remains actively involved at the bench, advancing biophysical research within Molecular Genetics.
