John Lew

John Lew is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). His research focuses on Alzheimer’s Disease mechanisms, employing multidisciplinary approaches including protein purification, genetic engineering, and biophysical analysis. Key projects investigate CDK5/p35 signaling and tau protein aggregation.

Dr. Lew earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1993) from the University of Calgary, followed by postdoctoral training at UC San Diego. His work bridges biochemistry, structural biology, and neuroscience to uncover molecular pathways underlying neurodegenerative diseases.

Research interests include protein kinase structure/function, neurobiology of Alzheimer’s, and drug discovery for neuroprotection. His lab’s findings have advanced understanding of tau phosphorylation, CDK5 regulation, and aggregation mechanisms using techniques like NMR spectroscopy and dynamic nuclear polarization.

No scientific awards were explicitly listed. His lab is located in the Life Sciences building (Room 1109), and he collaborates across disciplines within UCSB’s MCDB department and affiliated programs in Neuroscience and Biomedical Sciences.