25 Sep Holly Lewis, MD, PhD
Critical Care Anesthesiology Fellow at Cleveland Clinic
Holly Lewis, MD, PhD earned her undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Harvard University, where she conducted thesis research in synthetic chemistry and cell signaling. She went on to complete a PhD in Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis at Emory University, focusing on transplant immunology and tolerance-inducing cell therapies, while also earning her MD.
At Duke, Holly trained in General and Plastic Surgery while simultaneously pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship in Tatiana Segura’s laboratory. There, she led translational biomaterials projects on microporous annealed particle hydrogels for immune modulation and transplant tolerance, including the development of a novel mouse skin transplant model. Her work was supported by independent grants from NIH/NIAID and the Association of Women Surgeons, which also funded full-time research technicians under her supervision. Her team’s studies demonstrated how injectable biomaterials can reduce donor-specific antibodies and shift immune responses toward tolerance. A particular joy for Holly was mentoring undergraduate premedical students and collaborating with PhD trainees in a diverse, supportive lab environment
She is now a Critical Care Anesthesiology Fellow at the Cleveland Clinic, where she integrates her background in surgery, immunology, and engineering to care for patients following complex heart, lung, and abdominal organ transplantation, as well as trauma and emergency critical care. Her publications span transplant immunology, biomaterials, gender-affirming surgery, and health equity.
Her favorite parts of lab were late-night mouse experiments in the lab with dear lab members, when work sometimes paused for impromptu conversations ranging from troubleshooting chemistry to sharing music playlists.
Holly’s advice to current students is, “Do not be afraid to ‘move from known to unknown.’ Learn the fundamentals deeply but trust yourself when pushing into uncharted experiments. Seek mentorship and collaboration but also take ownership of your science.”
