Andrew Lewis

Team Leader, Principal Scientist and NMR Facility Manager

Biotechnologies

NMR Spectroscopy leader and innovator

I work as both a Team Leader, Principal Scientist and NMR Facility Manager within the Lipids and Natural Products Biotechnology team. Renowned as a quantitative NMR spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) expert, I have initiated and managed cutting-edge magnetic resonance facilities across both Canada and New Zealand. During my time I’ve guided hundreds of scientists and businesses through the art of NMR spectrometry.

My skill lies in discovering novel applications for NMR to tackle intricate challenges. Among my proudest accomplishments is bringing the first NMR FoodScreener to the Southern Hemisphere. I'm also delighted to have established two of New Zealand's most sensitive NMR spectrometer systems here at Callaghan Innovation.

The multidisciplinary prowess of NMR means we are using it to extract chemical fingerprints from samples that can unveil the geographic and botanical origins of diverse substances, be it food, beverages, medicines, or chemicals. I stand on the shoulders of giants like Sir Paul Callaghan, whose belief in people's potential to dream big and think outside the box aligns with my personal mission.

Areas of expertise

Quantitative NMR (qNMR)
Chemical Structure Elucidation
Authenticity and Provenance of Food and Beverages
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Purity and Concentration of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients
Kinetic Isotope Effects (KIE)

Education

Adjunct Professor, Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Canada, since 2005
Adjunct Research Fellow, The Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, since 2017
Entrepreneurial Skills Training Programme, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Canada, 2003
PhD, Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Canada, 1998
MSc (hons), Chemistry, University of Auckland, 1991
BSc, Chemistry, University of Auckland, 1989

Memberships and awards

Sir Edmund Hillary Award, Callaghan Innovation, 2018
Staff Achievement Award for Innovation, Simon Fraser University, 2012
Australian and New Zealand Society for Magnetic Resonance (ANZMAG)
Association of Managers of Magnetic Resonance Laboratories (AMMRL)
Committee for qNMR, ValidNMR.org
New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology

Selected publications

Advances in Instrumental Analysis of Dairy Products. P. Andrewes, B. Gill, R. Johnson, A. Lewis, A. MacKenzie, M. Vyssotski
Understanding and Improving the Functional and Nutritional Properties of Milk, Chap. 22, 2022.
In Situ Determination of Fructose Isomer Concentrations in Wine Using 13C Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. C. Colombo, C. Aupic, A.R. Lewis, B.M. Pinto. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2015, 63 (38), 8551-8559.
A direct NMR method for the measurement of competitive kinetic isotope effects. J. Chan, A.R. Lewis, M. Gilbert, M.F. Karwaski, A.J. Bennet. Nature chemical biology, 2010, 6 (6), 405-407.
NMR imaging investigation of rice cooking. M. Kasai, A. Lewis, .F Marica, S. Ayabe, K. Hatae, C.A. Fyfe. Food research international, 2005, 38 (4), 403-410.
Location of the Fluoride Ion in Tetrapropylammonium Fluoride Silicalite-1 Determined by 1H/19F/29Si Triple Resonance CP, REDOR, and TEDOR NMR Experiments. C.A. Fyfe, DH Brouwer, A.R. Lewis, J.M. Chézeau. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2001, 123 (28), 6882-6891.