Virginia Man-Yee Lee

Virginia Man-Yee Lee is the John H. Ware 3rd Endowed Professor in Alzheimer's Research at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. She serves as Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR) and Co-Director of the Marian S. Ware Alzheimer Drug Discovery Program. Her academic journey includes a BSc in Chemistry from the University of London (1967), an MSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London (1968), a PhD from UC San Francisco (1973), and an MBA from Wharton School (1982).

Dr. Lee's transformative research focuses on protein aggregation mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases. She challenged the amyloid plaque hypothesis of Alzheimer's, demonstrating tau protein's central role in neurofibrillary tangles. Her work extended to Parkinson's disease (alpha-synuclein/Lewy bodies), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (TDP-43), and multiple system atrophy. Her discoveries established foundational understanding of pathological protein transmission and aggregation across major neurodegenerative conditions.

Her publications consistently explore molecular pathways of neurodegeneration, with recent work emphasizing cross-disease interactions between amyloid-beta and tau pathology, and mechanisms of pathogenic protein transmission. Research consistently integrates biochemistry, neuropathology, and translational models.

Major scientific honors include:

• Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2020)
• Robert A. Pritzker Prize (2018)
• National Academy of Medicine membership (2005)
• Potamkin Prize (1998)
• Alzheimer's Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)
• Clarivate Citation Laureate (2022)

She founded and directs the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, managing multidisciplinary teams investigating therapeutic targets. The Marian S. Ware Alzheimer Drug Discovery Program advances translational applications of her protein aggregation research.