Paul Adin Lewis

Paul Adin Lewis (April 14, 1879 – June 30, 1929) was an American pathologist and associate member of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. He was best known for his work in viral and bacterial pathology.

Personal life Lewis was born in Chicago and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the eldest son of Dr. Clinton H. Lewis, a practicing physician. Lewis's sister, Dr. Marian Lewis, also practiced medicine in Milwaukee.

Lewis married Louise Durbin in 1906. They had two children, Hobart and Janet.

Education and career After attending the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Lewis went on to earn his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1904. While still an undergraduate, he chose to pursue a career as a laboratory scientist and never practiced medicine. Lewis rejoined the Rockefeller Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1923 and worked in the department of animal pathology until his death six years later.

Scientific contributions From his graduation in 1904 to his death in 1929, Lewis published 78 articles on topics such as anaphylaxis, poliomyelitis, chemotherapy, and tuberculosis. With Richard E. Shope in 1931, Lewis discovered an influenza A virus that could infect both pigs and humans. This virus turned deadly when co-infected with Haemophilus influenzae, illuminating the origins of the Spanish flu. Lewis's later work centered on tuberculosis, heredity, and allergies in guinea pigs.

Lewis is interred at the Forest Hills Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin. The Lewis Playfield in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood is named in his honor.