Ryang Hwa Lee, PhD

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