The University of Chicago’s Ka Yee Lee has been elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Lee is a professor in chemistry, director of the National Science Foundation’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at UChicago and a fellow of the Institute for Molecular Engineering.
Her interdisciplinary orientation is further reflected in her affiliations with UChicago’s James Franck Institute and the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics. She will be inducted into the College of Fellows March 24 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., during AIMBE’s annual meeting.
Lee conducts research on lung surfactant, a complex mixture of lipids and proteins that assists the breathing process. Her work also aims at elucidating the membrane disruptive mechanism of antimicrobial peptides, the effects of cholesterol on membrane structure and assembly, the role of lipids in immunological response and the mechanism of membrane sealing by polymers.
The College of Fellows consists of 1,500 outstanding bioengineers in academia, industry and government who have distinguished themselves as leaders through their contributions in research, industrial practice and/or education.
The Washington, D.C.-based AIMBE is a nonprofit organization representing 50,000 members, including the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. AIMBE also represents academic institutions, private industry and professional engineering societies.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
