Virginia Man-Yee Lee, Ph.D.
Virginia Man-Yee Lee, Ph.D.
John H. Ware 3rd Endowed Professor of Alzheimer's Research
Department: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research
3rd Floor, Maloney Building
3600 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283
3rd Floor, Maloney Building
3600 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283
Office: (215) 662-6427
Fax: (215) 349-5909
Fax: (215) 349-5909
Email:
VMYLEE@MAIL.MED.UPENN.EDU
VMYLEE@MAIL.MED.UPENN.EDU
Publications
Links
Search PubMed for articles
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics graduate group faculty webpage.
Primary Work Website
Pharmacological Sciences graduate group faculty webpage.
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Neuroscience graduate group faculty webpage.
Search PubMed for articles
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics graduate group faculty webpage.
Primary Work Website
Pharmacological Sciences graduate group faculty webpage.
Cell and Molecular Biology graduate group faculty webpage.
Neuroscience graduate group faculty webpage.
Education:
Royal Academy of Music, London, England, 1964.
B.Sc (Chemistry)
Univ. of London, England, 1967.
M.Sc (Biochemistry)
Univ. of London, England, 1968.
Ph.D. (Biochemistry)
University of California at San Francisco, 1973.
M.B.A.
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1984.
Permanent linkRoyal Academy of Music, London, England, 1964.
B.Sc (Chemistry)
Univ. of London, England, 1967.
M.Sc (Biochemistry)
Univ. of London, England, 1968.
Ph.D. (Biochemistry)
University of California at San Francisco, 1973.
M.B.A.
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1984.
Description of Research Expertise
Research InterestsBiology of tau, synucleins and amyloid beta precursor proteins (APPs) in health and disease.
Key words: Alzheimer's disease; tauopathies; APPs; Parkinson’s disease; synucleinopathies.
Description of Research
Virginia M.-Y. Lee’s research interest focuses on tau, α-synuclein and amyloid beta precursor protein (APP), and their roles in the pathobiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and frontotemporal dementias (FTD). In particular, Dr. Lee wants to determine the pathogenesis of senile plaques, Lewy bodies and neurofibrillary tangles because these are major lesions found in the brains of AD patients and other neurodegenerative diseases. Information obtained from this research program may shed light on how neurons degenerate in AD and PD and lead to a better understanding of the etiology of these diseases. A multi-disciplinary approach (including biochemical and molecular studies of neuronal culture systems, animal models and human tissues obtained at autopsy) is used in the laboratory to address these research issues in common with these neurodegenerative diseases. Other research efforts focus on an increased understanding of the normal functions of tau, synuclein, and APP. Dr. Lee is involved in collaborative initiatives to advance drug discovery in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Research Techniques
Protein biochemistry; cell and molecular biology; monoclonal antibody production; immunochemical and immunocytochemical techniques; tissue culture; transgenic mouse models; and electron microscopy.
Rotation Projects for 2006-2007
Lab rotation projects are difficult to define in a rapidly moving field. Please contact Dr. Lee to discuss possible rotation projects.
Selected Publications
Lee, E.B., Zhang, B., Liu, K., Greenbaum, E., Doms, R.W., Trojanowski, J.Q., and Lee, V.M.-Y.: BACE overexpression alters the subcellular processing of APP and inhibits Abeta deposition in vivo. J. Cell. Biol. 168: 291-302, 2005.Zhang, B., Maiti, A., Shively, S., Lakhani, F., McDonald-Jones, G., Bruce, J., Lee, E.B., Xie, S.X., Joyce, S., Li, C., Toleikis, P.M., Lee, V.M.-Y., and Trojanowski, J.Q: Microtubule binding drugs offset tau sequestration by stabilizing microtubules and reversing fast axonal transport deficits in a murine neurodegenerative tauopathy model. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 102: 227-231, 2005 Notes: Epub Dec. 22 2004.
Kotzbauer, P.T., Truax, A., Trojanowski, J.Q., Lee, V.M.-Y. : Altered neuronal mitochondrial CoA synthesis in Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) due to disrupted proteolytic processing, stability and catalytic activity of PanK2. J. Neuroscience 25: 689-698, 2005.
Roy, S., Zhang, B., Lee, V.M.-Y., Trojanowski, J.Q. : Axonal Transport Defects: A Common Theme in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Acta Neuropathol. 109: 5-13, 2005.
Easton, R.M., Cho, H., Roovers, K., Shineman, D.W., Mizrahi, M., Forman, M.S., Lee, V.M.-Y., Szaboics, M., de Jong, R., Oltersdorf, T., Ludwig, T., Efstratiadis, A., Birnbaum, M.J : Role for Akt3/protein kinase Bgamma in attainment of normal brain size. Mol. Cell. Biol. 5: 1869-1878, 2005.
Geerts, H., Trojanowski, J.Q., Lee, V.M.-Y. : Drug discovery in neurodegenerative diseases. Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 6: pe4, 2005.
Sung, S., Yao, Y., Uryu, K., Yang, H., Lee, V.M.-Y., Trojanowski, J.Q., Pratico, D: Early Vitamin E supplementation in young but not aged mice reduces alpha beta levels and amyloid deposition in a transgenic model of Alzheimer’s disease. FASEB J. 18: 323-325, 2004.
Rizzu, P., Hinkle, D.A., Zhukareva, V., Bonifati, V., Severijnen, L.-A., Martinez, D., Ravid, R., Kamphorst, W., Eberwine, J.H., Lee, V.M.-Y., Trojanowski, J., and Heutink, P. : DJ-1 co-localizes with pathological tau inclusions: A link between Parkinsonism and dementia. Ann Neurol. 55: 1131-1138, 2004.
Dabir, D.V., Trojanowski, J.Q., Richter-Landsberg C., Lee, V.M.-Y., Forman, M.S. : Expression of the small heat shock protein alphabeta-crystallin in tauopathies with glial pathology. Am. J. Pathol. 164: 155-166, 2004.
Fortna, R.R., Crystal, A.S., Morais, V.A., Pijak, D.S., Lee, V.M.-Y., and Doms, R.W. : Membrane Topology and Nicastrin-Enhanced Endlproteolysis of APH-1, a Component of the y-Secretase Complex. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 3685-3693, 2004.