Project Title: Tspan14 Expression and Function in Cardiovascular Disease
Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: UT Southwestern
Funding NIH Institute/Center: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Grant ID: R00HL163411
An Oklahoman by birth, Vivian Lee, PhD, was raised in Oklahoma and Washington, where her passion for science and nature blossomed during childhood summers spent collecting and observing insects. Dr. Lee’s introduction to biomedical research began through the Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Washington, where she majored in biochemistry and conducted independent research on nanoparticle toxicity in pulmonary cells. With the support of strong mentors and collaborative colleagues, her enthusiasm for science continued to grow, inspiring her to pursue and earn a PhD in Developmental, Regenerative, and Stem Cell Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her doctoral thesis focused on identifying and validating novel mutations responsible for familial thoracic aortic aneurysms. As a postdoctoral fellow, she investigated noncoding variations associated with coronary artery disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she was later promoted to Instructor in Medicine. Dr. Lee joined the faculty of UT Southwestern Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in 2024. Throughout her career, Dr. Lee has been deeply aware of the diversity challenges in the scientific community and has dedicated herself to recruiting and empowering young scientists from underrepresented groups through various outreach programs. As a MOSAIC scholar, she is committed to promoting diversity and embedding inclusion as a core principle of her research program, her institution, and the broader scientific community.