Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 18, 2016
• Invested on: May 10, 2018

Lewis Kay, O.C.
Toronto, Ontario

Eminent biochemist Lewis Kay helps to explain the mechanisms of life on the smallest scale by studying how proteins behave within living cells. A pioneering expert in the use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), he established the NMR research lab at the University of Toronto. He has developed innovative research methodologies that use NMR to examine the structure of proteins, their movements and their interactions with other molecules. This fundamental work has transformed the discipline of molecular biophysics and has had a worldwide impact on biochemistry imaging research.