Lewis Kay (photo by Polina Teif)
Lewis Kay awarded 2026 Royal Medal by U.K.'s Royal Society
Published: August 28, 2026
Lewis Kay, a senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and University Professor in the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, has been honoured with a Royal Medal by the Royal Society in the U.K.
Awarded since 1825, Royal Medals recognize contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the physical and biological sciences, and to the applied sciences.
Kay was awarded a 2026 Royal Medal "for his remarkable contribution to understand and quantify protein dynamics and their relevance to protein function."
A pioneer in new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques, Kay's work has enabled scientists to study protein complexes at greater sizes than previously possible, advancing our knowledge of how molecular activity shapes health and disease.
"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," said Kay, who holds appointments in the departments of molecular genetics and biochemistry at Temerty Medicine and the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science.
"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."
