Ryang Hwa Lee, PhD

Associate Professor
Contact
Cell Biology and Genetics
238 Reynolds Medical Building
College Station,
TX
77843-1114
rlee@tamu.edu
Phone: 979.436.9649
Fax: 979.847.9481
Biography
Dr. Ryang-Hwa Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics at the Texas A&M School of Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in Stem Cell Biology from Pusan National University in Korea and completed her postdoctoral training under the guidance of Dr. Prockop, a pioneer in the field of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), at Tulane University. In 2011, she was appointed as an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University and her research focuses on MSCs, aiming to develop novel therapies for human diseases. Currently, Dr. Lee is focusing on developing MSC-based interventions for treating autoimmune diseases and tissue injuries. She has demonstrated the therapeutic potential of MSCs and MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in preclinical models of type 1 diabetes, autoimmune uveitis, Sjogren’s syndrome, and corneal injuries. Her research has unveiled novel mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of MSCs and their EVs in these preclinical models. Additionally, she has developed biomarkers and biopotency assays to validate the therapeutic effects of MSC-based therapeutics in vivo. Her research projects have received support from the NIH, Juvenile Diabetes Research foundation and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
Education and Training
- Pusan National University, BS, 1997
- Pusan National University Medical School, Masters, 1999
- Pusan National University Medical School, PhD, 2003
Research Interests
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising cellular therapy for several human diseases as they are readily obtained from patients, expanded in culture and exhibit stem-like properties to differentiate into multiple cellular phenotypes. Furthermore, MSC have shown to suppress inflammation and immune responses in several pre-clinical models and patients. However, the underlying mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of MSCs have not been fully addressed and there are large variations among MSC isolates due to the differences in donors, culture conditions, and tissue sources, which yields controversial outcomes and hinders the development of robust MSC therapy. Currently, my lab focuses on studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of MSCs and MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in preclinical models of inflammation/immune-mediated diseases including autoimmune diseases and developing biomarkers and bioassays to assess the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs and MSC-derived EVs.
Awards, Recognition and Service
- Extracellular Vesicles Produced by Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Novel Therapy for Autoimmune Uveitis awarded by DHHS-NIH-National Eye Institute
- Therapeutic Effects of MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles on Sjögren's Syndrome awarded by DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research