Dr. Alexis Stutzman Lewis is a Junior Fellow in the Simons Society of Fellows and postdoctoral research scientist in the Marlin Lab, where she studies how learned experiences are passed through generations. Alex began her scientific career at the University of Chicago, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a specialization in Cellular & Molecular Biology. As an undergraduate, Alex studied basic mechanisms of eukaryotic transcription in human cell lines, a non-canonical role for a general transcription factor in *C. elegans*, and the pathogenesis of laminopathies, a class of genetic diseases caused by mutations to the nuclear envelope protein Lamin A/C, in mouse cardiomyocytes. With a strong foundation in nuclear biology, Alex transitioned to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a PhD in Genetics & Molecular Biology and identified epigenetic determinants of genome architecture under the guidance of Dan McKay and Jill Dowen.

Now in the Marlin Lab, Alex studies the mechanisms by which stress changes a mouse’s sense of smell and how those changes are inherited by their offspring. Her work is divided into two primary branches: one that studies cellular communication in the nose of stressed mice that results in biases olfactory neuron identity, and a second that studies the stressed individual’s reproductive system to understand how stress-induced phenotypes are inherited.

Alex is a fierce advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in scientific spaces and co-founded the organization Black In Genetics, a non-profit that promotes diversity in the genetics field by providing community and support to Black-identifying genetics professionals and trainees.

Outside of science, Alex can likely be found baking, on her peloton, or with her nose deep in a fantasy novel, or curled up on the couch watching reality tv. Her most-frequently used ice breaker is the fun fact that she grew up in an Amish community!

Simons Profile: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/people/alexis-stutzman-lewis/
BWF PDEP: https://www.bwfund.org/news/bwf-announces-2025-postdoctoral-diversity-enrichment-program-recipients/

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