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Dr. Karen Lewis

  • Associate Professor - Chemistry and Biochemistry
Portrait of Dr. Karen Lewis

Biography and education

Dr. Karen A. Lewis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Richmond in 2003, where she was an Ethyl and Albemarle Science Scholar. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics from the University of Texas Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2009, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Colorado Boulder supported by a Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award individual fellowship (F31). She started her independent career at Texas State in 2014; in 2025, she became the first director of the Integrated Molecular and Biophysical Chemistry Doctoral Program.

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Whitten, Steven T (Principal), Lewis, Karen A (Co-Principal), Libich, David S (Co-Principal), Oyajobi, Babatunde Olukayode (Co-Principal). Texas Doctoral Bridge Program, NIH, Federal, $2761618. (Submitted: September 26, 2023, Funded: August 1, 2024 - July 31, 2029). Grant.
  • Lewis, Karen A (Principal), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Co-Principal), McLean, Robert J C (Co-Principal), Chang, Carolyn T (Supporting), David, Wendi M (Supporting). U-RISE at Texas State, National Institutes of Health - National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Federal, $2238578. (Funded: April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2025). Grant.
  • Lewis, Karen A (Principal). Molecular Mechanisms of RNA Binding by the Posttranscriptional Regulator LARP6, National Institutes of Health - National Institute of General Medical Studies, Federal, $460000. (Submitted: February 26, 2018, Funded: September 1, 2019 - August 31, 2022). Grant.
  • Wu, Bocheng (Principal), Percent Contribution: %70, Lewis, Karen A (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %30. Research Enhancement Program, TXST, Texas State University, $24000. (Submitted: October 2025, Funded: December 2025 - May 2027). Grant.
  • Lewis, Karen A (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %30, Wu, Bocheng (Principal), Percent Contribution: %70. Lead optimization of TOX inhibitor to reverse the T cell exhaustion in cancer treatment, Texas State University, $24000. (Funded: December 15, 2025 - January 1, 2027). Grant.
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  • Lewis, E. N., Becker, O., Symons, A. N., LaCoss, P. A., Baclig, A. J., Guzman, A., … Lewis, K. A. (2025). The LARP6 La Module from Tetrabaena socialis reveals structural and functional differences from plant and animal LARP6 homologues. RNA Biology, 22(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2025.2489303
  • Dock-Bregeon, A.-C., Lewis, K. A., & Conte, M. R. (2019). Structural Advances in La and La Related Proteins. RNA Biology. https://doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2019.1695712
  • Kipp, O. L., Lewis, K. A., Hough, L. E., & Whitten, S. T. (2025). Missense mutations in intrinsically disordered protein regions link pathogenicity and phase separation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 301(11), 110773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110773
  • Wilson, C., Lewis, K. A., Fitzkee, N. C., Hough, L. E., & Whitten, S. T. (2023). ParSe 2.0: A web tool to identify drivers of protein phase separation at the proteome level. Protein Science, 32(9). https://doi.org/doi: 10.1002/pro.4756
  • Ibrahim, A. Y., Khaodeuanepheng, N. P., Amarasekara, D. L., Correia, J. J., Lewis, K. A., Fitzkee, N. C., … Whitten, S. T. (2023). Intrinsically disordered regions that drive phase separation form a robustly distinct protein class. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 299(1), 102801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102801
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Texas State Big Spender Award, Texas State University. September 2025
  • Award / Honor Recipient: College Achievement Award for Excellence in Service, Texas State University. September 1, 2022
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Foundations of Excellence, Texas State University Student Foundation. 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Alpha Chi Favorite Professor, Alpha Chi Student Honor Society. 2018
  • Award / Honor Recipient: ABRCMS Judge Travel Award, ABRCMS/American Society for Microbiology. November 14, 2018 - November 18, 2018
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  1. Chair

    Central Texas Local Section of the American Chemical Society

  2. Other

    Division of Research Responsible Conduct of Research Brown Bag Lecture Series

  3. Graduate Advisor

    Integrated Molecular and Biophysical Chemistry

  4. Treasurer

    Gibbs Society for Biological Thermodynamics

  5. Member

    Political Affairs Advisory Committee, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  6. Other

    Texas State U-RISE Program

  7. View all activities