Please join the Harvard Chan community in warmly congratulating Chih-Hao Lee on his promotion to tenured professor in the Department of Molecular Metabolism at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Dr. Lee has focused his research in the field of metabolic disease and lipid metabolism, and has succeeded in becoming a leading expert in understanding the connections between metabolism and inflammation, with numerous influential publications in the highest caliber journals. Dr. Lee was the first to demonstrate that Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor -delta (PPAR-delta) modulates the inflammatory state of macrophages, thus identifying this receptor as a potential therapeutic target to limit cardiovascular disease. His focus on coordinated control of metabolism and inflammation through PPAR-delta biology and its nodal network represented a unique niche where he displayed thoughtful and focused leadership within a much broader field. Dr. Lee’s recent work addressing the interaction of the immune system and metabolism based on inter-organ signaling between the liver and skeletal muscle has established him as an innovator with a steep upward trajectory in both scholarly output and impact.
Dr. Lee received the BS degree in chemical engineering at National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan, in 1989. After serving in the military, Dr. Lee went on to receive a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 1999. As a doctoral student, in 1998, Dr. Lee was presented with the Bacaner Research Award for excellence in creative research. Upon completion of his degree, he spent five years in postdoctoral training in Molecular Physiology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. In 2004 he joined the Harvard School of Public Health in the Department of Molecular Metabolism as Assistant Professor. Dr. Lee received the William F. Milton Fund Award in 2005 and the Scientist Development Grant awarded by the American Heart Association in 2006. In 2010, Dr. Lee was promoted to Associate Professor of Molecular Metabolism at the School. He was honored with the Mentoring Award by the graduating class of 2011. In 2012, Dr. Lee received the Armen H. Tashjian Jr. Award for Excellence in Endocrine Research.
On behalf of the School and the faculty, I congratulate Dr. Lee on his promotion and wish him continued success in his career at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Best wishes,
David Hunter
Dean for Academic Affairs
