Justin C. Lee

Justin C. Lee, M.D., Ph.D. serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, where he operates as a dual-trained neurosurgeon-scientist specializing in complex spinal disorders and regenerative neuroscience therapies.

His academic foundation includes:

• MD from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY
• PhD from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, New York, NY
• Neurosurgery Residency at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
• Research Fellowship at City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA

Dr. Lee's research program centers on cell and gene therapy development for spinal cord injury, with pioneering work in extracellular vesicle biology and therapeutic modification. His investigations extend to traumatic brain injury, stroke, and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, emphasizing neuronal plasticity and regeneration pathways for clinical translation.

Analysis of his 2009-2024 publications reveals dominant themes in translational neuroscience, particularly spinal disorder pathophysiology, vesicle-based therapeutics, and neuromodulation approaches for neurodegeneration. His work bridges molecular discovery (e.g., long non-coding RNA in glioblastoma) with clinical neurosurgery applications.

His scientific recognition includes:

• NIH-funded Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award
• NIH/NINDS R25 grant

Dr. Lee directs research at the BCM-Smith Medical Research Building funded by Mission Connect/TIRR Foundation for optimizing stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles as spinal cord injury therapeutics. He maintains active clinical practice in minimally invasive spine surgery while contributing to professional societies including the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, AO Spine North America, and North American Spine Society.

His laboratory develops novel regenerative approaches for neurological recovery, focusing on vesicle engineering and neural circuit repair mechanisms.