Research in the Lewis laboratory focuses on mitochondria, the dynamic, double membrane bound organelle that is essential for oxidative phosphorylation. Specifically, our area of study is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) synthesis and distribution within human cells. Mitochondria maintain their own multi-copy genome independent of the nucleus; the goals of my work are to understand how mtDNA copy number is regulated within and across cell cycles, and how the disruption of these pathways impinges on mtDNA integrity, cellular metabolism, and ultimately human health. Using quantitative imaging, genetics and systems biology approaches, we aim to understand how human cells homeostatically maintain mtDNA despite genetic or environmental insults, and how those mechanisms are influenced by cell type-specific physiology.

For more information, see the lab website at www.thelewislab.org.