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Dr Trevor Lewis

Dr Trevor Lewis

Senior Lecturer

PhD (Physiology), Adelaide
Cert.Sci.Comm., ANU
BSc (Hons I), Adelaide

Medicine & Health
School of Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Trevor Lewis is a senior lecturer in Physiology within the School of Medical Sciences. He teaches across the science, medical science and medicine programs in physiology and neuroscience. His research explores the relationship between structure and function in ligand-gated ion channels and more broadly the processes underlying cellular excitability. This is investigated with the application of patch clamp electrophysiology to record whole-cell and single channel responses, and imaging techniques for localisation of ion channels. Previous research has contributed to understanding of the molecular events leading to the opening of ligand-gated ion channels (channel gating), through the investigation of disease mutations in human glycine receptors, and the understanding ligand interactions at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The current focus is on novel mechanisms for activating ligand-gated ion channels at interfaces between channel subunits not typically involved in ligand binding.
Phone
+61 2 9065 9730
E-mail
t.lewis@unsw.edu.au
Location
Office: Wallace Wurth room 302 Lab: Wallace Wurth room 312
  • Book Chapters | 2016
    Polly P; Vickery R; Thai T; Yang JL; Fath T; Herbert C; Jones N; Lewis T; Pather N; Schibeci S; Cox J, 2016, 'ePortfolios, Assessment and Professional Skills in the Medical Sciences', in Rowley J (ed.), ePortfolios in Australian Universities, Springer, Singapore, pp. 47 - 64,
    Book Chapters | 2015
    Moorhouse AJ; Lewis TM; Barry PH, 2015, 'Analyzing Ion Permeation in Channels and Pumps Using Patch-Clamp Recording', in Clarke RJ; Khalid MAA (ed.), Pumps, Channels and Transporters Methods of Functional Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey, pp. 51 - 88
  • Journal articles | 2019
    Indurthi DC; Qudah T; Liao VW; Ahring PK; Lewis TM; Balle T; Chebib M; Absalom NL, 2019, 'Revisiting autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) mutations in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor reveal an increase in efficacy regardless of stochiometry', Pharmacological Research, 139, pp. 215 - 227,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Goulton CS; Watanabe M; Cheung DL; Wang KW; Oba T; Khoshaba A; Lai D; Inada H; Eto K; Nakamura K; Power JM; Lewis TM; Housley GD; Wake H; Nabekura J; Moorhouse AJ, 2018, 'Conditional Upregulation of KCC2 selectively enhances neuronal inhibition during seizures', ,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Polly P; Thai T; Yang JL; Luo A; Herbert C; Jones N; Lewis T; Vickery R; Richardson A; Schibeci S, 2018, 'The teacher-student journey: Program-wide teamwork skills development and evaluation in the medical sciences', International Journal of Assessment and Evaluation, 24, pp. 1 - 24,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Duncan T; Lowe A; Sidhu K; Sachdev P; Lewis T; Lin RCY; Sytnyk V; Valenzuela M, 2017, 'Replicable Expansion and Differentiation of Neural Precursors from Adult Canine Skin.', Stem Cell Reports, 9, pp. 557 - 570,
    Journal articles | 2016
    Lewis TM; Indurthi DC; Ahring PK; Balle T; Chebib M; Absalom NL, 2016, 'Ligand Binding at the α4-α4 Agonist-Binding Site of the α4β2 nAChR Triggers Receptor Activation through a Pre-Activated Conformational State', PLoS One, 11, pp. e0161154 - e0161154,
    Journal articles | 2015
    Carland JE; Yamamoto I; Hanrahan JR; Abdel-Halim H; Lewis TM; Absalom N; Chebib M, 2015, 'A Hydrophobic Area of the GABA ρ1 Receptor Containing Phenylalanine 124 Influences Both Receptor Activation and Deactivation', Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 55, pp. 305 - 313,
    Journal articles | 2013
    Absalom NL; Quek G; Lewis TM; Qudah T; Von Arenstorff I; Ambrus JI; Harpsøe K; Karim N; Balle T; McLeod MD; Chebib M, 2013, 'Covalent trapping of methyllycaconitine at the α4-α4 interface of the α4α2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: Antagonist binding site and mode of receptor inhibition revealed', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288, pp. 26521 - 26532,
    Journal articles | 2013
    Barry PH; Lewis TM; Moorhouse AJ, 2013, 'An optimised 3 M KCl salt-bridge technique used to measure and validate theoretical liquid junction potential values in patch-clamping and electrophysiology', European Biophysics Journal, 42, pp. 631 - 646,
    Journal articles | 2012
    Huang SH; Lewis TM; Lummis SCR; Thompson AJ; Chebib M; Johnston GAR; Duke RK, 2012, 'Mixed antagonistic effects of the ginkgolides at recombinant human ρ1 GABAC receptors', Neuropharmacology, 63, pp. 1127 - 1139,
    Journal articles | 2010
    Barry PH; Sugiharto S; Lewis TM; Moorhouse AJ, 2010, 'Further analysis of counterion permeation through anion-selective glycine receptor channels.', Channels, 4, pp. 142 - 149,
    Journal articles | 2010
    Cederholm JME; Absalom NL; Sugiharto S; Griffith R; Schofield PR; Lewis TM, 2010, 'Conformational changes in extracellular loop 2 associated with signal transduction in the glycine receptor', Journal of Neurochemistry, 115, pp. 1245 - 1255,
    Journal articles | 2010
    Sugiharto S; Carland JE; Lewis TM; Moorhouse AJ; Barry PH, 2010, 'External divalent cations increase anion-cation permeability ratio in glycine receptor channels', Pflugers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology, 460, pp. 131 - 152,
    Journal articles | 2009
    Absalom NL; Schofield PR; Lewis TM, 2009, 'Pore structure of the Cys-loop ligand-gated ion channels', Neurochemical Research, 34, pp. 1805 - 1815
    Journal articles | 2009
    Carland JE; cooper MA; Sugiharto S; Jeong H; Lewis TM; Barry PH; Peters JA; Lambert J; Moorhouse AJ, 2009, 'Characterization of the effects of charged residues in the intracellular loop on ion permeation in α1 glycine receptor channels', The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284, pp. 2023 - 2030,
    Journal articles | 2009
    Cederholm JME; Schofield PR; Lewis TM, 2009, 'Gating mechanisms in Cys-loop receptors', European Biophysics Journal, 39, pp. 37 - 49,
    Journal articles | 2008
    Sugiharto S; Lewis TM; Moorhouse AJ; Schofield PR; Barry PH, 2008, 'Anion-cation permeability correlates with hydrated counterion size in glycine receptor channels', Biophysical Journal, 95, pp. 4698 - 4715,
    Journal articles | 2006
    Qu W; Moorhouse AJ; Chandra M; Pierce KD; Lewis TM; Barry PH, 2006, 'A single P-loop glutamate point mutation to either lysine or arginine switches the cation-anion selectivity of the CNGA2 channel', Journal of General Physiology, 127, pp. 375 - 389,
    Journal articles | 2005
    Absalom N; Lewis T; Schofield P, 2005, 'Channel gating in the LGIC receptor superfamily – insights into the signal', Physiology News, pp. 27 - 28,
    Journal articles | 2005
    Qu W; Moorhouse AJ; Lewis TM; Pierce KD; Barry PH, 2005, 'Mutation of the pore glutamate affects both cytoplasmic and external dequalinium block in the rat olfactory CNGA2 channel', European Biophysics Journal with Biophysics Letters, 34, pp. 442 - 453,
    Journal articles | 2004
    Absalom NL; Lewis TM; Schofield PR, 2004, 'Mechanisms of channel gating of the ligand-gated ion channelsuperfamily inferred from protein structure', Experimental Physiology, 89, pp. 145 - 153
    Journal articles | 2004
    Morris R, 2004, 'In vivo somatic delivery of plasmid DNA and retrograde transport to obtain cell-specific gene expression in the central nervous system', Journal of Neurochemistry, 90, pp. 1445 - 1452
    Journal articles | 2003
    Absalom NL; Lewis TM; Kaplan W; Pierce KD; Schofield PR, 2003, 'Role of charged residues in coupling ligand binding and channel activation in the extracellular domain of the clycine receptor', The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278, pp. 50151 - 50157
    Journal articles | 2003
    Lewis TM; Schofield PR; McClellan AM, 2003, 'Kinetic determinants of agonist potency at the recombinant human glycine receptor', The Journal of Physiology, 549, pp. 361 - 374
    Journal articles | 2002
    Rees MI; Lewis TM; Kwok JB; Mortier GR; Govaert P; Snell RG; Schofield PR; Owen MJ, 2002, 'Hyperekplexia associated with compound heterozygote mutations in the β-subunit of the human inhibitory glycine receptor (GLRB).', Human Molecular Genetics, 11, pp. 853 - 860,
    Journal articles | 2001
    Rees MI; Lewis TM; Vafa B; Ferrie C; Corry P; Muntoni F; Jungbluth H; Stephenson JB; Kerr M; Snell RG; Schofield PR; Owen MJ, 2001, 'Compound heterozygosity and nonsense mutations in the α1-subunit of the inhibitory glycine receptor in hyperekplexia', Human Genetics, 109, pp. 267 - 270,
    Journal articles | 2000
    Rees MI; Lewis TM; Mortier G; Snell RG; Schofield PR; Owen MJ, 2000, 'A transient hyperekplexia phenotype associated with compound heterozygote mutations in the human beta-subunit of the inhibitory glycine receptor (GLRB).', AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS, 67, pp. 391 - 391,
    Journal articles | 1999
    Lewis TM; Schofield PR, 1999, 'Structure-function relationships of the human glycine receptor: Insights from hyperekplexia mutations', Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 868, pp. 681 - 684,
    Journal articles | 1999
    Vafa B; Lewis TM; Cunningham AM; Jacques P; Lynch JP; Schofield PR, 1999, 'Identification of a new ligand binding domain in the alpha1 subunit of the inhibitory glycine receptor', Journal of Neurochemistry, pp. 2158 - 2166
    Journal articles | 1998
    Lewis TM; Sivilotti LG; Colquhoun D; Gardiner RM; Schoepfer R; Rees M, 1998, 'Properties of human glycine receptors containing the hyperekplexia mutation α1 (K276E), expressed in Xenopus oocytes', Journal of Physiology, 507, pp. 25 - 40,
    Journal articles | 1997
    Lewis TM; Harkness PC; Sivilotti LG; Colquhoun D; Millar NS, 1997, 'The ion channel properties of a rat recombinant neuronal nicotinic receptor are dependent on the host cell type', Journal of Physiology, 505, pp. 299 - 306,
    Journal articles | 1997
    Sivilotti LG; McNeil DK; Lewis TM; Nassar MA; Schoepfer R; Colquhoun D, 1997, 'Recombinant nicotinic receptors, expressed in Xenopus oocytes, do not resemble native rat sympathetic ganglion receptors in single-channel behaviour', Journal of Physiology, 500, pp. 123 - 138,
    Journal articles | 1994
    Lewis TM; Roberts ML; Bretag AH, 1994, 'Immunolabelling for VDAC, the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel, on sarcoplasmic reticulum from amphibian skeletal muscle', Neuroscience Letters, 181, pp. 83 - 86,
    Journal articles | 1992
    Lewis TM; Dulhunty AF; Junankar PR; Stanhope C, 1992, 'Ultrastructure of sarcoballs on the surface of skinned amphibian skeletal muscle fibres', Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility, 13, pp. 640 - 653,
  • Conference Papers | 2017
    Polly P; Thai T; Yang JL; Luo A; Herbert C; Jones N; Lewis T; Vickery R; Schibeci S, 2017, 'TEAMWORK SKILLS BUILDING AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN THE MEDICAL SCIENCES USING EPORTFOLIO LEARNING AND AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT', in Chova LG; Martinez AL; Torres IC (eds.), 9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION AND NEW LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES (EDULEARN17), IATED-INT ASSOC TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT, SPAIN, Barcelona, pp. 2086 - 2086, presented at 9th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN), SPAIN, Barcelona, 03 July 2017 - 05 July 2017,
    Conference Abstracts | 2015
    Indurthil DC; Salle T; Ahringl PK; Chebibl M; Lewis TM; Absalom NL, 2015, 'Exploiting ligand selectivity to understand allosteric receptor opening', in BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY, PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, IL, Chicago, Vol. 97, pp. 624 - 624, presented at Conference on Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors as Therapeutic Targets - Emerging Frontiers in Basic Research and Clinical Science, IL, Chicago, 14 October 2015 - 15 October 2015,
    Conference Posters | 2014
    Windley MJ; Drwal M; Lewis TM, 2014, 'A novel startle disease mutation reveals the significance of W170 in glycine receptor function', Mt Holyoke College, MA, USA, presented at Gordon Research Conference. Ion Channels: The Molecular Basis of Excitability and Disease., Mt Holyoke College, MA, USA, 06 July 2014 - 11 July 2014
    Conference Presentations | 2011
    Barry PH; Lewis TM; Moorhouse AJ, 2011, 'An improved method, with theoretical analysis, for the simple experimental measurement of liquid junction potentials', presented at Joint ASB-BioPhysChem 2011 Conference, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia, 03 December 2011 - 06 December 2011
    Conference Presentations | 2011
    Cederholm J; Absalom N; Sugiharto S; Griffith R; Schofield P; Lewis T, 2011, 'Conformational changes in extracellular loop 2 associated with signal transduction in the glycine receptor', presented at 23rd ISN-ESN Biennial Meeting, Athens, Greece, 28 August 2011 - 01 September 2011,
    Conference Abstracts | 2011
    Cederholm J; Sugiharto S; Schofield P; Lewis T, 2011, 'Investigating the role of loop 9 in glycine receptor signal transduction.', in Gage conference, presented at Gage conference
    Conference Abstracts | 2009
    Cederholm J; Absalom N; Sugiharto S; Griffith R; Schofield P; Lewis T, 2009, 'Loop 2 in the extracellular domain of the glycine receptor is involved in signal transduction', in Proceedings of Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, USA., presented at Society for Neuroscience 2009, Chicago, IL, USA.
    Conference Abstracts | 2009
    Cederholm J; Absalom N; Sugiharto S; Kaplan W; Lewis T; Schofield P, 2009, 'Conformational changes in extracellular loop 2 associated with signal transduction in the glycine receptor', in Gage conference, presented at Gage conference
    Conference Abstracts | 2008
    Cederholm J; Absalom N; Sugiharto S; Kaplan W; Lewis T; Schofield P, 2008, 'Conformational changes in extracellular loop 2 associated with signal transduction in the glycine receptor.', in The Australian Society for Biophysics, presented at The Australian Society for Biophysics

2019 Faculty of Medicine Educator of the Year

2019 Faculty of Medicine Award for Teaching Excellence

2018 School of Medical Science Teaching Award - Outstanding contributions to the student experience

2015 UNSW Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence - Outstanding contributions to student learning

Ligand-gated ion channels are one of the fundamental building blocks for a functioning nervous system. They are responsible for the fast transmission of signals between nerve cells at specialised junctions called synapses. Research is undertaken on the human glycine receptor as a model system of ligand-gated channels in general. The overall aim is to relate the functional characteristics of the glycine receptor to what is know about its protein structure. Two strands are currently being investigated. The first is the conformational changes that follow ligand binding to allow the ion channel pore to open. This is investigating changes that occur at the interface between the transmembrane domain and the extracellular domain of the receptor, and at the inter-subunit interfaces. The second strand is the relationship between the structure of the ion channel pore and what characteristics determine ion selectivity.

Broad Research Areas:
Physiology, Neuroscience

Specific Research Keywords:
Structure and Function of Ion Channels, Ligand Gated Ion Channels, Patch Clamp Electrophysiology, Homology Modelling

Memberships
Australian Physiological Society
Australian Society for Biophysics
Society for Neuroscience

My Teaching

SOMS4888 Honours convenor
MFAC1522 Beginnings, Growth and Development B, co-convenor
NEUR3121 Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, convenor
PHAR3102 Molecular Pharmacology (ion channels)
MFAC1521/MFAC1522 Beginnings, Growth and Development (endocrine physiology)