Publications

Lewis is a son and a grandson of a mechanical engineer and a master carpenter, respectively, which led to him tinkering in the family workshops from the age of four. The skills developed through the course of his childhood have proven invaluable during his academic career as a spin chemist who specialises in developing experimental techniques for understanding quantum spin effects in biological systems. He is a pioneer of magnetic field effect-based microspectroscopy, in which seminal papers were published during his PhD. His PhD thesis at The University of Tokyo (2014-2018) focused on developing transient optical absorption-based microspectroscopy for investigating flavin-based spin-correlated radical pairs (see Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. and Rev. Sci. Instrum.). The development of this high-sensitivity instrumentation led to the discovery of magnetosensitive photochemistry of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) at physiological pH (see J. Phys. Chem. Lett.) and the first reported low field effect (LFE) on FAD photochemistry, the mechanism by which migratory birds are proposed to sense the geomagnetic field to navigate across the world (see Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.). His efforts were awarded with a Best Poster Prize at the 2017 Spin Chemistry Meeting, The First National High School Memorial Award (一高記念賞) and graduated as valedictorian (卒業生代表).

During his JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018-2019, nominated by The Royal Society) at Saitama University and his independent JST PRESTO (さきがけ) Research Fellowship (2019-2023), he developed the most sensitive magnetic field effect-based technique to date, named magneto-fluorescence fluctuation microspectroscopy (MFFMS), a fluorescence-based microspectroscope that enables quantum spin effects on biomolecules to be observed at single-photon levels. This work was awarded a Best Presentation Award and Best Poster Prizes (by students) at domestic and international conferences (here and here) and was recently published in a Nature Photonics and featured in Nature Photonics News & Views.

During this time, he started to co-develop the open-source object-oriented spin dynamics software RadicalPy, which was recently published in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation. This software is designed to provide a versatile framework for students and researchers to perform correct and complex radical pair spin dynamics simulations with relative ease.

He then moved to the University of Oxford in early 2023 as a Research Associate to investigate quantum phenomena in cryptochrome proteins for avian magnetoreception and singlet fission materials. He was shortlisted for a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) at New College, University of Oxford before deciding to move to S. Korea, where since December 2024, he has been running his own group that focuses on understanding the influence of quantum effects on biological function and their medical applications in the Institute of Quantum Biophysics (IQB) at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU).

He is currently organising and running the Spin Chemistry Graduate Seminar Series (SCGSS), whose aim is to give graduate students the opportunity to present their research, in English, in an online conference format. His contributions to the field of spin chemistry were recognised and awarded with the honour of becoming the youngest member of the prestigious International Spin Chemistry Committee and appointed as a Visiting Academic at the University of Oxford in 2024. He is also a Guest Editor for PLOS Computational Biology and a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Royal Microscopical Society.

Professional Experience

Research Professor (Principal Investigator) Sungkyunkwan University, S. Korea - 2024/12-Present

Visiting Academic University of Oxford, UK - 2024/12-Present

Research Associate in Laser Photochemistry and Spectroscopy University of Oxford, UK - 2023/04-2024/11
Advisors: Prof. Peter J. Hore, Prof. Christiane R. Timmel, Prof. Stuart R. Mackenzie

Independent PRESTO Researcher / Special Project Researcher Japan Science and Technology Agency / Saitama University, Japan - 2019/10-2023/03

JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan Saitama University, Japan - 2018/10-2019/09
Advisor: Prof. Kiminori Maeda
Nominated by The Royal Society

Education

Ph. D. in Environmental Sciences The University of Tokyo, Japan - 2014-2018
Thesis: Spatially resolved microspectroscopy of flavin-based magnetosensitive (フラビンに基づく磁気感受性光化学の空間分解顕微分光）
Graduated as Valedictorian (卒業生代表)
The First National High School Memorial Award (一高記念賞)
Supervisor: Prof. Jonathan R. Woodward

M. Chem. in Chemistry (with a Year Abroad) University of Leicester, UK (Year abroad: University of Stuttgart, Germany) - 2010-2014
Royal Society of Chemistry Accredited Degree
Fourth year thesis: The determination of total atmospheric hydroxyl radical reactivity with the development of the comparative reactivity method - First Class
Supervisor: Prof. Paul S. Monks
Third year thesis: Liquid crystalline aryl guanidinium ions: effects of bending on the mesomorphic properties - First Class
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sabine Laschat

Awards

Best Presentation Award The 3rd Annual Meeting of the Quantum Life Science Society Conference (第３回量子生命科学会) - 2021/09

EFEPR Scholarship International EPR (ESR) Society - 2019/11

The First National High School Memorial Award (一高記念賞) Best academic performance and dissertation in the year - 2019/03

Valedictorian (卒業生代表) The University of Tokyo - 2018/09

Best Poster Prize Spin Chemistry Meeting 2017 (Taylor & Francis) - 2017/09

2017 International Conference Travel Grant The University of Tokyo - 2017/05

Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry - 2016

MEXT Scholarship for Ph. D. - 2014/08

ERASMUS Scholarship for M. Chem. - 2012/07

Teaching Experience

Student Supervisor Saitama University, University of Oxford, Sungkyunkwan University - 2019-Present

Guest Lecturer Saitama University, Japan - 2019-2023

JSPS Science Dialogue Lecture Sendai Seiryo Secondary School, Japan - 2019

Teaching Assistant The University of Tokyo, Japan - 2015-2017

Komaba Writers Studio Teaching Assistant The University of Tokyo, Japan - 2015-2016

Sports England Level 2 Coach British Ju-Jitsu Association Governing Body, UK - 2011-2014

Funding

JST ASPIRE for Rising Scientists (Co-PI) 60 million JPY - 2024/10-2027/09

JST PRESTO International Reinforcement Support (PI) 3 million JPY - 2020/10-2021/03

JST PRESTO (Quantum Bio) Creation of Life Science Basis By Using Quantum Technology (PI) 40 million JPY - 2019/10-2023/03

Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow (Co-PI) 4 million JPY - 2018/10-2019/09

Professional Affiliations

International Spin Chemistry Committee

Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)

Royal Institute of Navigation (MRIN)

Royal Microscopical Society

International EPR (ESR) Society

Society of Electron Spin Science and Technology (SEST)

European Microscopy Society

International Society of Magnetic Resonance