Kate Lewis, PhD
I am passionate about helping people achieve their potential and live fulfilled, successful lives aligned with their personal values.
I bring together professional coaching expertise with more than three decades of experience in academic science, as a professor, department chair, program director, researcher, educator and leader.
Book a free consultation →My story
I am a Professor of Biology and Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence at Syracuse University, where I chaired the Biology Department from 2020 to 2023. I also directed Syracuse’s undergraduate Neuroscience program and co-directed its Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) initiative across 18 departments.
My career began with a First Class degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge, followed by a Kennedy Scholarship at Harvard, a PhD from University College London, and postdoctoral research at the University of Oregon. I then held a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at the University of Cambridge and a Fellowship at King’s College, Cambridge.
As a principal investigator, I have led an internationally recognized research program funded by the NIH, NSF, MRC, HFSP, Wellcome Trust, Royal Society and others, and mentored faculty, postdocs and students throughout my career.
Today I also coach academics and STEM professionals through leadership challenges, career transitions, tenure-track pressures and the everyday struggle to focus on what matters most, combining thoughtful questioning with practical strategies, accountability and a deep understanding of academic and STEM environments.
Coaching credentials
Click a badge to verify the credential.
International Coaching Federation
Associate Certified Coach (ACC). The ACC requires at least 60 hours of coach training, 100 hours of coaching experience, mentor coaching and the ICF exam.
Center for Executive Coaching
Certified Executive Coach, Time and Productivity Leadership Coach, Communication Impact Coach, Change Leadership Coach, Perceptual Shift Coach.
Minds at Work
Trained in the Immunity to Change™ framework for helping people make difficult changes.
Myers-Briggs
Certified MBTI Practitioner.
Academic career
Recent positions
- 2020 – 2023Chair, Department of Biology, Syracuse University
- 2019 – presentLaura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence
- 2018 – presentProfessor, Department of Biology, Syracuse University
- 2017 – 2024Co-Director, Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Programs, Syracuse University
- 2017 – 2020Director, Integrated Learning Major in Neuroscience, Syracuse University
- 2017 – 2020Treasurer, International Zebrafish Society (IZFS)
Degrees
- PhD, Developmental Biology and Genetics, University College London, UK
- MA with Distinction, Women’s Studies, University of Westminster, UK
- Postgraduate credit, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA (Kennedy Scholar)
- BA (Honors), First Class (all three years), Natural Sciences, Cambridge University, UK (MA awarded 1996)
Selected honors and fellowships
- 2019 – presentLaura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship for Outstanding Teaching
- 2019James K. Duah-Agyeman Award for Outstanding Faculty
- 2017 – 2020Elected Treasurer, International Zebrafish Society (IZFS)
- 2004 – 2010Royal Society University Research Fellowship (renewed 2008)
- 2004 – 2010Fellowship, King’s College, Cambridge
- 2006NESTA Crucible Fellowship
- 2006Represented British science at a reception with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
- 2005 – 2010Elected committee member, British Society for Developmental Biology (BSDB)
- 1999 & 2000Wellcome International Prize Travelling Research Fellowship
- 1994 – 1998Imperial Cancer Research Fund PhD Studentship
- 1993 – 1994Kennedy Memorial Fellowship, Harvard University
Let’s work together
Book a free 30-minute consultation to talk about your goals and how I can help.
Book my free consultation →Or email kate@professorkate.com