Ka Yee Christina Lee
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Ka Yee Christina Lee is a Professor of Chemistry and the Provost at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
, where she succeeded Daniel Diermeier on February 1, 2020. She works on membrane biophysics, including protein–lipid interactions, Alzheimer's disease and respiratory distress syndrome. She is a Fellow of the
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization founded in 1991, and headquartered in Washington. It represents 50,000 medical and biomedical engineers, and academic institutions, private industry, ...
and American Physical Society.


Early life and education

Lee was born in Hong Kong. Lee completed her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Brown University in 1986. She joined
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
for her graduate studies in
applied physics Applied physics is the application of physics to solve scientific or engineering problems. It is usually considered to be a bridge or a connection between physics and engineering. "Applied" is distinguished from "pure" by a subtle combination ...
, earning her master's in 1987 and PhD in 1992. She worked under the supervision of
Eric Mazur Eric Mazur (born November 14, 1954) is a physicist and educator at Harvard University, and an entrepreneur in technology start-ups for the educational and technology markets. Mazur's research is in experimental ultrafast optics, condensed matter p ...
on liquid-vapour interfaces. Lee was a postdoctoral researcher with Harden M. McConnell at Stanford University and with A. J. Waring at the
University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the U ...
.


Research and career

Lee joined the Department of Chemistry at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
in 1998, and was made a full Professor in 2008. She has made significant contributions to the understanding of molecular behaviour in lipid films. She investigates the functionality of
lung surfactant Pulmonary surfactant is a surface-active complex of phospholipids and proteins formed by type II alveolar cells. The proteins and lipids that make up the surfactant have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. By adsorbing to the air-water inte ...
, mechanisms of antimicrobial peptides, sealing effects of polymers and recognition of lipids in receptors that regulate immunity. She looks to control biomembranes that can mimic real-life systems to understand Alzheimer's disease and respiratory distress syndrome. Lee uses microscopy, x-ray and neutron scattering to establish the interactions of lipids and proteins.
Lung surfactant Pulmonary surfactant is a surface-active complex of phospholipids and proteins formed by type II alveolar cells. The proteins and lipids that make up the surfactant have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. By adsorbing to the air-water inte ...
, a lipid-protein mixture, forms at the alveolar air-water interface. A lack of surfactant in premature infants can result in infant respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In an effort to improve interventions for patients with RDS, Lee's research group look to identify the relationships between structure and function in lung surfactant, as well as establishing how the surfactant interacts with nearby proteins. She also studies the role of amyloid beta, a residue generated by the processing of the
amyloid precursor protein Amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) is an integral membrane protein expressed in many tissues and concentrated in the synapses of neurons. It functions as a cell surface receptor and has been implicated as a regulator of synapse format ...
, and Alzheimer's disease. The Lee group look to establish a model for Ab aggregation, identifying which Ab isoforms are associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. She has also studied the mechanisms that allow the formation of the
myelin sheath Myelin is a lipid-rich material that surrounds nerve cell axons (the nervous system's "wires") to insulate them and increase the rate at which electrical impulses (called action potentials) are passed along the axon. The myelinated axon can be l ...
. Using
transmission electron microscopy Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a microscopy technique in which a beam of electrons is transmitted through a specimen to form an image. The specimen is most often an ultrathin section less than 100 nm thick or a suspension on a g ...
, her group studied the self-assembly of myelin lipids into tubules and subsequent transition into lamellar. Using atomic force microscopy the Lee group monitored the interactions of antimicrobial peptides with biomembranes. She demonstrated that peptides share a common interaction which is driven by membrane line tension reduction. Her research group developed a self-healing gel that works underwater; a synthetic version of the substance that mussels use to anchor to rocks in the ocean. Mussels contain
byssal thread A byssus () is a bundle of filaments secreted by many species of bivalve mollusc that function to attach the mollusc to a solid surface. Species from several families of clams have a byssus, including pen shells ( Pinnidae), true mussels (Mytili ...
s, which resist material failure by limiting crack propagation. The Lee group identified ways to control the crosslinking of
catechol Catechol ( or ), also known as pyrocatechol or 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, is a toxic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is the ''ortho'' isomer of the three isomeric benzenediols. This colorless compound occurs naturally in trace amoun ...
and Fe3+ using pH. Her group went on to study the mechanical properties of hydrogels regulated by pH, demonstrating it is possible to design a range of synthetic materials using mimicry of mussel proteins. Lee has also demonstrated that geometric tools can be used to study complex and non-linear biological interfaces. She showed that thin elastic membranes can adopt both periodically wrinkled or folded morphologies. When compression of membranes exceeds one third of their 'wrinkled wavelength', the membranes fold, eventually transforming into a symmetry-broken state that looks crumpled.


Academic service and advocacy

Lee served as Director of the
National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Lee is committed to increasing opportunities for women and minority students to take part in scientific research, and regularly hosts students for summer research programs. Lee is an advocate for women in science, and was a founding member of the Chicago Collaboration on Women in Science. The collaboration supports women faculty members in
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
and the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
. Lee served as a member of the steering committees of the University of Chicago centres in Beijing and Hong Kong. Lee was appointed Vice provost for Research in August 2018. In that capacity, she worked with faculty and deans to enhance and expand research activities at the University, and oversaw large-scale research structures, including University Research Administration, University of Chicago Consortium for Advanced Science and Engineering(CASE), Office of Research Safety, Research Computing Center and Research Development Support. Lee was appointed Provost of the University of Chicago on January 7, 2020, and began her term on February 1.


Awards and honors

* 1999
David and Lucile Packard Foundation The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to not-for-profit organizations. It was created in 1964 by David Packard (co-founder of HP) and his wife Lucile Salter Packard. Following David Packard's death ...
Fellow * 2001 Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award * 2007
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching * 2009 American Physical Society Fellow * 2009
American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...
Astella USA Foundation Award * 2013
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization founded in 1991, and headquartered in Washington. It represents 50,000 medical and biomedical engineers, and academic institutions, private industry, ...
Fellow * 2013
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize * 2013
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
Fellow


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Ka Yee Christina University of Chicago faculty Brown University School of Engineering alumni Harvard University alumni Stanford University Department of Chemistry faculty University of California, Santa Barbara faculty Fellows of the American Physical Society Living people Hong Kong people 1964 births