Steve Lee

Dr. Steve Lee is a Research Fellow and Head of the Optical Biofluidic Group (OBIG) at the Australian National University, operating within the Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer. Since joining ANU in 2013, he has pioneered advancements in biomedical imaging and optical biophysics, establishing the university's capacity in these fields through interdisciplinary research and technology development.

His academic foundation includes a B.Eng with Honors in Electronics from Nanyang Technological University, a PhD in Optics and Biophysics from the University of St Andrews, and postdoctoral training in Biomedicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Lee's research integrates fluid dynamics, optics, and biological physics to investigate single-cell responses and tissue formation. His group's motto—'invent new optical techniques to precisely quantify the fundamental functions of biological systems'—drives innovations in label-free imaging for quantifying how biofluidic forces and biochemical signals cooperatively regulate cell adhesion and multicellularity. This work directly informs tissue engineering and biomaterial development.

His publication portfolio demonstrates consistent leadership in optical imaging modalities, with recent trends emphasizing adaptive optics, holographic techniques, and computational light-sheet microscopy for live-cell and nanoscale analysis across biomedical applications.

Lee's scientific contributions are recognized through prestigious awards:

• Australian Museum Eureka Prize for ANSTO Innovative Use of Technology
• ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award
• Royal Society Incoming Fellowship (UK)

He actively supervises research students and leads multiple grants including '5D Imaging Flow Cytometry for in vivo Quantification of Biological Fluids' and 'Understanding and controlling thrombus formation'. External roles encompass Scientific Advisory Board membership for the ACRF Centre for Intravital Imaging and Scientific Directorship at Ability Optics Pty Ltd, which commercializes his imaging technologies through CSIRO On Accelerator.

The Optical Biofluidic Group (OBIG) operates at the nexus of advanced imaging and biological physics, maintaining strong industry partnerships via Ability Optics Pty Ltd to translate fundamental research into real-world medical technologies.