Kelly Lee

Kelly Lee serves as the Sidney D. Nelson Endowed Professor of Medicinal Chemistry within the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. She leads the Lee Lab and maintains an adjunct appointment in the UW Microbiology Department while participating in multiple cross-departmental graduate programs including Biological Physics Structure and Design, Pathobiology, and Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Her educational foundation includes an AB (Honors) from Harvard University and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University, establishing her expertise in structural virology and biophysics.

Dr. Lee's research centers on the structural mechanisms of viral infection, particularly for HIV and Influenza A virus. Her lab employs advanced techniques including Hydrogen/Deuterium-Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS), cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to capture transient conformational changes during viral membrane fusion. This work provides critical insights for developing novel antivirals and vaccines by revealing how viral machinery interacts with host cells and neutralizing antibodies.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications shows consistent focus on viral entry mechanisms, with particular emphasis on HIV Env and Influenza hemagglutinin structural dynamics. Her work frequently bridges basic structural biology with translational applications in vaccine design, as evidenced by multiple studies on nanoparticle immunogens and antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2, rotavirus, and malaria.

Her scientific achievements have been recognized through prestigious awards:

• NIH K99/R00 Career Award supporting her transition to influenza research
• Center for AIDS Research Creative and Novel Ideas in HIV Research (CNIHR) award

Dr. Lee actively mentors students (accepting new advisees) and secures significant grant funding including Gates Foundation support. Her collaborative network spans the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Julie Overbaugh's group), UW Pharmaceutics (Shiu-Lok Hu), and multiple UW graduate programs, reflecting interdisciplinary integration of structural biology, virology, and immunology.

The Lee Lab operates within the Department of Medicinal Chemistry's research ecosystem, collaborating with centers including the Center for Epilepsy Drug Discovery (CEDD) and WE-REACH. Current projects focus on visualizing viral membrane fusion intermediates and characterizing isolate-specific structural differences in HIV Env to inform next-generation vaccine design.