Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology, Medicine, Pediatrics, and Molecular and Human Genetics
Faculty Associate, Huffington Center on Aging
Principal Investigator, Age-Related Eye Disease Study-II (AREDS-II)

B.A., Harvard College, 1965
M.D., University of Michigan Medical School, 1969
M.S., University of Michigan, 1974

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Dr. Lewis, an ophthalmologist at the Cullen Eye Institute and the Alkek Eye Center, is a consultant in genetic eye disorders to the Kleberg Genetics Center at Texas Children's Hospital and the Baylor affiliated hospitals. His clinical practice of retinal and uveal diseases includes hereditary eye disease and the ocular manifestations of systemic hereditary disease. He pioneered the mapping of X-linked ocular diseases, including X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa, Choroideremia, the Oculo-Cerebro-Renal Syndrome of Lowe, Blue Cone Monochromacy, X-linked (Nettleship-Falls) Ocular Albinism (OA1), and the Nance-Horan X-linked cataract-dental syndrome.

In collaboration with Dr. James Lupski, we are studying autosomal recessive ocular and retinal disorders, such as Stargardt disease/Fundus Flavimaculatus (a form of juvenile macular degeneration), the (Laurence-Moon-) Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS combines retinal dystrophy, obesity, polydactylia, developmental retardation, and renal disease), Rod Monochromacy (complete congenital achromatopsia), and Leber Congenital Amaurosis (a group of disorders causing blindness from birth). BBS1, the most common form of BBS, was mapped here and BBS6, BBS7, BBS8, BBS10 were identified here first. The gene for Stargardt disease was isolated and the role of this gene in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and autosomal and recessive forms of retinitis pigmentosa explored here first.

In addition, we are studying hereditary Keratoconus. In collaboration with Dr. David Nelson, we isolated the gene for Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP2) at Xq28, an X-dominant disorder with multisystem complications in the eye, skin, brain, and teeth in females, and embryonic lethality in most males. Further investigations are focused on the uncommon male "survivors" with IP and related unusual phenotypes with immunodeficiency. In collaboration with Dr. Igna Van den Veyver, the search for the genetic construct for Aicardi syndrome continues.

Dr. Lewis has been the Principal Investigator at Baylor College of Medicine for the Studies of the Ocular Complications of AIDS (SOCA) for more than 20 years. In addition, he is the principal investigator for the Age-Related Eye Disease Study-II (AREDS-II), a 5-year program to determine whether supplemental lutein or fish oil will moderate the risk for macular degeneration in older Americans.

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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
1. Glasmacher MA, Sutton VR, Hopkins B, Eble T, Lewis RA, Park Parsons D, Van den Veyver IB (2007). Phenotype and management of Aicardi syndrome: new findings from a survey of 69 children. J. Child Neurol. 22: 176-184.

2. Stoetzel C, Muller J, Laurier V, Davis EE, Zaghloul NA, Vicaire S, Jacquelin C, Plewniak F, Leitch CC, Sarda P, Hamel C, de Ravel TJ, Lewis RA, Friederich E, Thibault C, Danse JM, Verloes A, Bonneau D, Katsanis N, Poch O, Mandel JL, Dollfus H (2007). Identification of a novel BBS gene (BBS12) highlights the major role of a vertebrate-specific branch of chaperonin-related proteins in Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 80: 1-11.

3. Huang KM, Wu J, Brooks SP, Hardcastle AJ, Lewis RA, Stambolian D (2007). Identification of three novel NHS mutations in families with Nance-Horan syndrome. Mol. Vis. 13: 470-474.

4. Sullivan LS, Bowne SJ, Seaman CR, Blanton SH, Lewis RA, Heckenlively JR, Birch DG, Hughbanks-Wheaton D, Daiger SP (2006). Genomic rearrangements of the PRPF31 gene account for 2.5% of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 47: 4579-4588.

5. Stoetzel C, Laurier V, Davis EE, Muller J, Rix S, Badano JL, Leitch CC, Salem N, Chouery E, Corbani S, Jalk N, Vicaire S, Sarda P, Hamel C, Lacombe D, Holder M, Odent S, Holder S, Brooks AS, Elcioglu NH, Da Silva E, Rossillion B, Sigaudy S, de Ravel TJ, Lewis RA, Leheup B, Verloes A, Amati-Bonneau P, Megarbane A, Poch O, Bonneau D, Beales PL, Mandel JL, Katsanis N, Dollfus H (2006). A novel gene encoding a vertebrate-specific chaperonin is a major BBS locus. Nat. Genet. 38: 521-524.

6. Bowne SJ, Sullivan LS, Mortimer SE, Hedstrom L, Zhu J, Spellicy CJ, Gire AI, Hughbanks-Wheaton D, Birch DG, Lewis RA, Heckenlively JR, Daiger SP (2006). Spectrum and frequency of mutations in IMPDH1 associated with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and leber congenital amaurosis. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 47: 34-42.

For more publications, see listing on Pub Med.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Richard A. Lewis, M.D., M.S.
Cullen Eye Institute, NC-206
Baylor College of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza
Houston, Texas 77030, U.S.A.

Telephone: 713-798-3030
Clinic Appointments: 713-798-6100
Fax: 713-798-3042
E-mail:

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Last modified: 8/2007