Wei-Ping Andrew Lee (; born c. 1957) is a Taiwanese-American hand surgeon and medical researcher. He is presently the dean of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of UT Southwestern Medical Center. Lee focuses on translational research on immune modulation for vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) and the implementation of protocols to minimize immunosuppression in hand transplant and other VCA programs.

Early life and education

Lee was born in the town of Gangshan in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where his father was serving in the Republic of China Air Force. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 15 to join his siblings. He followed his siblings to different towns due to their job re-location, and went to three high schools in three years while adapting to his new country and learning a new language. Lee graduated with honors from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in physics. He received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he also completed his general surgery residency. He received plastic surgery training at the

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...

and completed his orthopedic hand fellowship at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center. In 1991, he joined the academic faculty at

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

, where he became the Director of Plastic Surgery Research Laboratory and Chief of Hand Service in Department of Surgery.

Career

In 2002, Lee was named the division chief of plastic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In 2010, he moved to

Johns Hopkins Hospital The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 mo ...

to become the inaugural chairman of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. From 2010 to 2019, he was the Milton T. Edgerton, M.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at

Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for most ...

. He chaired the Associate Professor Promotion Committee of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine from 2014 to 2017 and was Chair of the Medical Board from 2016 to 2018. In 2019, Lee became the 16th dean of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of UT Southwestern Medical Center where he is Professor of Plastic Surgery and holds the Atticus James Gill, M.D. Chair in Medical Science.

Research

A hand surgeon and translational researcher, Lee investigates tolerance strategy for vascularized composite allografts (VCA) to ameliorate the need for long-term systemic immunosuppression. He has been principal investigator on numerous federal research grants totaling over $10 million. Lee established multidisciplinary programs for hand transplantation at

and the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

using an immunomodulatory protocol based upon the work from his laboratory. He led the surgical team that performed the first bilateral hand transplant (2009) and the first trans-humeral transplant (2010) in the United States. A key feature of the protocol is single-agent immunosuppression that aims to minimize the long-term risks of VCA. He has led one of the largest hand and arm transplant programs in the field, and his group was especially focused on restoring functions to military servicemen with upper extremity amputations that resulted from combat injuries. In March 2018, Lee oversaw the team that performed the world's first total penis and scrotum transplant. The operation included transplants of the penis, scrotum, and abdominal wall to a wounded serviceman and was the most complex surgery of its type. Lee has authored about 230 original peer-reviewed publications and 40 textbook chapters and co-edited the book ''Transplantation of Composite Tissue Allografts'', (2008). He has served on the editorial boards of ''Transplantation'', ''Journal of Surgical Research and ''Hand''. He co-founded ''Vascularized Composite Allo-transplantation'' in 2014 and serves as its co-Editor.

Honors and awards

* 2018 American Association of Plastic Surgeons Ti-Sheng Chang Award Winner
American Association of Plastic Surgeons
* 2018 Mentor of the Year
Plastic Surgery Research Council
* 2018 Leonard R. Rubin Award
American Association of Plastic Surgeons
* 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award,

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

* 2014 Research Achievement Award for Basic Science
American Association of Plastic Surgeons
* 2014 Andrew J. Weiland Medal for Outstanding Research in Hand Surgery, American Society for Surgery of the Hand * 2002 Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellowship, American Society for Surgery of the Hand * 1995 Summer L. Koch Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand * 1991 Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award,

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is an orthopedic organization. Founded at Northwestern University in 1933, as of 2015 AAOS had grown to include about 39,000 members.AAOMembersPage accessed June 27, 2015 The group provides edu ...

Society Leadership

* 2019-2020 President,American Association for Hand Surgery
* 2014-2016 President
American Society of Reconstructive Transplantation
* 2012-2013 Chair,

American Board of Plastic Surgery The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. was organized as a subsidiary of the American Board of Surgery in 1938. The American Board of Plastic Surgery, Inc. was given the status of a major specialty board in 1941. It is the one certifying body f ...

* 2011-2012 President, American Society for Surgery of the Hand * 2010 President
Robert H. Ivey Pennsylvania Plastic Surgery Society
* 2001-2002 Chair
Plastic Surgery Research Council

Publications

* Lee WPA, Yaremchuk MJ, Pan YC, Randolph MA, Tan CM, Weiland AJ
Relative Antigenicity of Components of a Vascularized Limb Allograft
''Plastic Reconstructive Surg'', 87:401, 1991. * Lee WPA, Mathes D
Hand Transplantation: Pertinent Data/Future Outlook
''J Hand Surg'', 24A:906, 1999. * Lee WPA, Rubin JP, Bourget JL, Cober SR, Randolph MA, Nielsen GP, Ierino FL, Sachs DH
Tolerance to Limb Tissue Allografts B/w Swine Matched for Major Histocompatibility Complex Antigens
''Plastic Reconstr Surg'', 107:1482, 2001. * Mathes DW, Randolph MA, Solari MG, Nazzal JA, Nielson GP, Arn JS, Sachs DH, Lee WPA
Split Tolerance to a Composite Tissue Allograft in a Swine Model
''Transplantation'', 75:25-31, 2003. * Hettiaratchy S, Melendy E, Randolph MA, Coburn RC, Neville DM, Sachs DH, Huang C, Lee WPA
Tolerance to Composite Tissue Allografts Across a Major Histocompatibility Barrier in Miniature Swine
''Transplantation,'' 77:514, 2004. * Solari MG, Washington KM, Sacks JM, Hautz T, Unadkat JV, Horibe E, Venkataramanan R, Larregina AT, Thomson AW, Lee WPA
Daily Topical Tacrolimus Therapy Prevents Skin Rejection in a Rodent Hind Limb Allograft Model
''Plast Reconstr Surg,'' 123:17S-25S'','' 2009. * Unadkat J, Schneeberger S, Horibe EH, Goldbach C, Solari MG, Washington KM, Gorantla VS, Cooper GM, Thomson AW, Lee WPA
Composite Tissue Vasculopathy and Degeneration Following Multiple Episodes of Acute Rejection in Reconstructive Transplantation
''Am J Transplant,'' 10:251'','' 2010. * Schneeberger S, Gorantla VS, Brandacher G, Zeevi A, Demetris AJ, Lunz JG, Metes DM, Donnenberg AD, Shores JT, Dimartini AF, Kiss JE, Imbriglia JE, Azari K, Goitz RJ, Manders EK, Nguyen VT, Cooney DS, Wachtman GS, Keith J, Fletcher D, Macedo C, Planinsic R, Losee J, Shapiro R, Starzl TE, Lee WPA
Upper Extremity Transplantation Using a Cell-Based Protocol to Minimize Immunosuppression
''Ann Surg'', 257:345-351, 2013. * Shores JT, Brandacher G, Lee WPA
Hand and Upper Extremity Transplantation: An Update of Outcomes in the Worldwide Experience
''Plast Reconstr Surg'', 135(2):351e-360e, 2015 * Lee WPA
Hand Transplantation: Evolution of a Personal Outlook
''J Hand Surg,'' 42(4):286-290, 2017. * Redett RJ, Etra JW, Brandacher G, Burnett AL, Tuffaha SH, Sacks JM, Shores JT, Bivalacqua TJ, Bonawitz S, Cooney CM, Coon D, Pustavoitau A, Rizkalla NA, Jackson AM, Javia V, Fidder SAJ, Davis-Sproul J, Breenan DC, Sander IB, Shoham S, Sopko NA, Lee WPA, Cooney DS
Total Penis, Scrotum, and Lower Abdominal Wall Transplantation
''N Engl J Med,'' 381(19):1876-1878m, 2019. *Etra JW, Shores JT, Sander IB, Brandacher G, Lee WPA
Trauma-Induced Rejection in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
''Ann Surg,'' 271(5);e113-114, 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, W. P. Andrew 1950s births Living people Taiwanese emigrants to the United States Taiwanese transplant surgeons American transplant surgeons Harvard University alumni Scientists from Kaohsiung Johns Hopkins School of Medicine alumni Johns Hopkins University faculty Massachusetts General Hospital faculty University of Pittsburgh faculty University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center faculty Taiwanese university and college faculty deans American university and college faculty deans