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Neurons
George Mason University

Faculty & Staff Directory

Gwendolyn (Wendy) Lewis

  • Associate Professor
  • Undergraduate Coordinator
  • Undergraduate Advisor

    Contact Info

    Gwendolyn Lewis Profile Picture
    Name
    Dr. Gwendolyn (Wendy) M. Lewis
    Job Title
    Associate Professor
    Undergraduate Coordinator
    Undergraduate Advisor
    Phone Number
    703-993-6239
    Office Number
    Krasnow Institute, Room 254, MSN 2A1

    Affiliations

    Departments

    Research Areas

    • Neuroscience
    • Biology

    Education

    PhD, Biology, University of Virginia (2015)

    BS, Integrated Science and Technology, James Madison University (2004)

    About

    I am a teaching-focused faculty member. I also serve as an academic advisor and the undergraduate coordinator for neuroscience. My research background is in neurodevelopment, injury, and regeneration using zebrafish. I love teaching and spreading my nerdy love of science to Mason's undergraduates.

    Current Research

    I am committed to making research opportunities accessible to undergraduates through research-based lab courses. In NEUR 406: Zebrafish Neurodevelopment Laboratory, I mentor students through independently designed, novel research projects. These projects focus on the effects of various teratogens (chemicals that disrupt development) on nervous system development in zebrafish embryos. Students who have completed NEUR 406 can apply to continue their projects with me in Krasnow's Collaborative Undergraduate Neuroscience Lab.

    Teaching Focus

    I teach both introductory and advanced neuroscience courses. I addition, I teach a research-based laboratory course where students use zebrafish to study nervous system development and disease. Courses I teach regularly are:

    • NEUR 101: Introduction to Neuroscience (Mason Core- Natural Science, non-lab)
    • NEUR 406: Zebrafish Neurodevelopment Laboratory (Research and Scholarship Intensive Course)
    • NEUR 411: When Good Cells Go Bad (Mason Core- Writing Intensive)

    Selected Publications

    • Angela D. Morris, Gwendolyn M. Lewis, and Sarah Kucenas. Perineurial Glial Plasticity and the Role of TGF-β in the Development of the Blood-Nerve Barrier. Journal of Neuroscience (2017).
    • Gwendolyn M. Lewis and Sarah Kucenas. Perineurial glia are essential for motor axon regrowth following nerve injury. Journal of Neuroscience (2014).
    • Gwendolyn M. Lewis and Sarah Kucenas. Motor nerve transection and time-lapse imaging of glial cell behaviors in live zebrafish. Journal of Visualized Experiments (2013).
    • Laura A. Binari, Gwendolyn M. Lewis, and Sarah Kucenas. Perineurial Glia Require Notch Signaling during Motor Nerve Development but Not Regeneration. Journal of Neuroscience vol. 33(10) pg. 4241-52 (2013).
    • Linda S. Kaltenbach, M. McLean Bolton, Bijal Shah, Patrick M. Kanju, Gwendolyn M. Lewis, Gregory J. Turmel, Jennifer C. Whaley, Oscar J. Trask Jr., and Donald C. Lo. Composite primary neuronal high-content screening assay for Huntington's disease incorporating non-cell autonomous interactions. Journal of Biomolecular Screening vol. 7 pg. 806-19 (2010).

    Contact Info

    Gwendolyn Lewis Profile Picture
    Name
    Dr. Gwendolyn (Wendy) M. Lewis
    Job Title
    Associate Professor
    Undergraduate Coordinator
    Undergraduate Advisor
    Phone Number
    703-993-6239
    Office Number
    Krasnow Institute, Room 254, MSN 2A1