Research Bio

Samantha C. Lewis, Ph.D. is a molecular and cell biologist and a leading expert on mitochondria, the “powerhouse of the cell”. Her research investigates how cells ensure the continual energy supply that they need to survive. Mitochondria harbor their own genomic blueprint called mitochondrial DNA. Dr. Lewis’ team leverages high-resolution microscopy, gene editing, proteomics, and genetics to reveal how cells inherit, replicate, and express this neglected genome.

Key Publications:

• Begeman A, Smolka JA, Shami A, Waingankar TP, Lewis SC. Spatial analysis of mitochondrial gene expression reveals dynamic translation hubs and remodeling in stress. Science Advances, 11, eads6830 (2025). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.ads6830.
• Rose K, Herrmann E, Kakudji EV, Lizarrondo J, Yasemin Celebi A, Wilfling F, Lewis SC, JH Hurley. In situ cryo-ET visualization of mitochondrial depolarization and mitophagic engulfment. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 122 (31) e2511890122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas. 2511890122 (2025).
• Begeman A, Babaian A, Lewis SC. Metatranscriptomic analysis uncovers prevalent viral ORFs compatible with mitochondrial translation. mSystems. 2023 May 18:e0100222. DOI: 10.1128/ msystems.01002-22.
• Lewis SC, Uchiyama LF and J Nunnari. (2016) ER-mitochondria contacts couple mtDNA synthesis with mitochondrial division in human cells. Science, 353(6296): aaf5549. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf5549.

Research Expertise and Interest

mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial genome inheritance, organelle assembly, DNA replication, cell metabolism, interactions between membrane-bound organelles