Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
retinal health and disease, photoreceptor biology, homeostatic interactions between photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), primary cilia and ciliopathies

Dr. Tylor Lewis is a distinguished researcher in cell and developmental biology, with a Ph.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He also holds a B.A. in Biology and Chemistry, summa cum laude, from Carthage College. Dr. Lewis joins the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences after being a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Ophthalmology at Duke University, where he worked under the guidance of Dr. Vadim Y. Arshavsky.

Dr. Lewis’s research interests are focused on the molecular mechanisms of vertebrate vision and the pathophysiology of retinal disease. He employs a combination of cellular, genetic, biochemical and proteomic approaches to study the development and maintenance of rod and cone photoreceptor cells. The first steps of vision take place within the ciliary outer segment organelle of these cells. Outer segments contain a stack of “disc” membranes that undergo continuous renewal whereby new discs are added at its base and old discs are ingested from its tip by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). His work has uncovered several critical aspects of outer segment morphogenesis and provided strong leads to expand his research program to studying poorly understood aspects of photoreceptor pathophysiology and the symbiotic relationship between photoreceptors and the RPE. Following these directions will ultimately contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from a wide range of retinal degenerative diseases, including those primarily affecting photoreceptor cells (e.g. retinitis pigmentosa and cone-rod dystrophy) and those disrupting photoreceptor-RPE symbiosis (e.g. vitelliform macular dystrophy).

Dr. Lewis has secured significant research funding, including the prestigious K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award and the F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. His work has led to numerous publications in high-impact journals, including PNAS, eLife and the Journal of Neuroscience, demonstrating his contributions to the field of vision science.

Throughout his career, Dr. Lewis has received multiple accolades, such as the 2018 Medical College of Wisconsin Outstanding Dissertation Award and several travel and poster awards from prominent conferences like FASEB and the International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration. He is also recognized for his excellence in presenting his work, having won the Duke VisionFest Best Talk Award in 2020 and 2022. Dr. Lewis’s commitment to advancing our understanding of vision science is evident in his impressive academic and research achievements.

Education & Training

Bachelors in Biology and Chemistry
Carthage College – Kenosha, WI

PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology
Medical College of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, WI

Postdoctoral Training
Duke University – Durham, NC