In conversation: Dr. Lewis Kay, molecular pioneer and catalyst for discovery
Summary:
One of Canada's most distinguished scientists chats about his journey, his priorities and his legacy at SickKids and beyond.
For decades, Dr. Lewis Kay has been driven by a deceptively simple question: how do the molecules that make up life actually behave in motion? That pursuit has transformed how scientists study proteins and their complexes and earned him a reputation as one of Canada's most influential researchers.
Now, Kay, a Senior Scientist in Molecular Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), has been awarded a 2026 Royal Medal from the Royal Society in the U.K. for his contributions to understanding the dynamics and function of proteins. One of three Royal Medals awarded annually, the honour — dating to 1825 — recognizes those who've made a profound impact in the physical, biological and applied sciences.
Kay's breakthroughs came in pioneering new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques, the first of which came in 2002 when he used physics to decode how to make fleeting molecular signals last longer so they can be recorded. This enabled scientists to study protein complexes in far greater size than ever before.
From there, he developed more intricate NMR methods to reveal how molecules mingle and move about as living systems, thereby opening new ways to study how the body functions, and how diseases begin, at the molecular level.
University Professor in the Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Chemistry departments at the University of Toronto, Kay has received an array of recognitions that include being promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada earlier in 2026 — the highest honour in the country.
We spoke with Kay about his path to science, what drives breakthroughs and the legacy he hopes to leave with the next generation of researchers.
Early on, what led you toward a scientific path?
Kay: In high school I was fascinated by math and found I could solve problems fairly quickly. This persisted in university. There is beauty in analyzing a problem and solving it in an abstract kind of way, and that was my first foray into something at least related to science. Then, for some reason — likely aided by the fact my father was a biochemist — I chose not to pursue a research career in mathematics, which in hindsight was probably a good idea.
I was drawn to chemistry and physics, two disciplines that can be used to explain some of the ways the world works. In graduate school I began to study biological molecules, which are very interesting and, as a member of the human species, it's gratifying to learn about how your own molecules function. And today I still emphasize mathematical and quantitative rigour in addressing problems about the behaviour of molecules.
What do these awards and recognitions mean to you?
Kay: We live in a world that benefits every day from discoveries that once seemed purely theoretical. Basic science ultimately shapes everyday life, often in ways nobody could have predicted. So, in receiving this Royal Medal, one of my first thoughts was that perhaps it would give me a little more opportunity to promote basic science.
I'm humbled to receive these recognitions, yet what matters most to me is that it widens my platform for outreach. In today's environment, where funding levels are very often inadequate to carry out top-notch research, I worry about bright young students leaving our profession.
Winning awards gives me a voice to speak to the next generation, to help them navigate the challenges ahead and describe the importance of basic research. If I give a keynote lecture or a university talk, I set aside a few hours to engage with students and postdocs. I ask them what excites them, what worries them, and give them the best advice I can.
What does it take to achieve a true breakthrough that changes things?
Kay: Nobody knows. I think, honestly, we are all products of our time, place, and the people around us.
As a scientist you must believe in yourself and seize moments when they appear. It requires you to be disruptive, to never be satisfied, to always keep pushing. In my case, you take the problem home with you and think about it continuously, always occupying a small corner of your mind.
I think you're on to something if there's a problem that really bothers you, and you feel a need to find the answer. Even if you can't see what the endpoint is. In my work, I wanted to apply my technology to molecules much larger than the ones studied before. After two years of getting nowhere, I had an idea and, surrounded by talented people, we worked out the physics behind it and put together the pieces of a solution over time.
I was fortunate to begin my career when there was ample funding for curiosity-driven research, and I strongly think there should be greater support for that today. I was lucky to have that freedom. Without it, many of the things I've accomplished probably would not have happened.
How has the SickKids research ecosystem supported your investigations?
Kay: While I started at the University of Toronto, my wife Julie held a Scientist position at SickKids. Through her laboratory I gained access to SickKids facilities and resources, and I was fortunate later to be granted an official appointment.
SickKids has been tremend ously supportive. They've provided funding for postdoctoral fellows and students, and I've benefited greatly from the intellectual environment. Through Molecular Medicine and all the colleagues I've interacted and collaborated with, I've found a research community that has significantly impacted my work.
Aside from your discoveries, what legacy do you hope to leave?
Kay: Beyond the science, my greatest legacy will be the trainees I've mentored over the years who have truly enriched my life, and I hope I've had a positive impact on them as well.
About 50 of my former trainees now hold faculty positions at major research institutions around the world, and they keep connected with one another to this day. It's incredible to think that something that started in my lab 30 years ago is contributing to work they are doing now.
My hope is that long after I've performed my last experiment, there will still be experiments carried out by others that were influenced, even in some small way, by ideas that originated in my lab or some of those problems I thought needed solutions.
Photography by Polina Teif.
