Woo Lee

My scientific research is on exploring the use of “human tissue on chip” to study inflammatory diseases, especially multiple myeloma – an incurable cancer of plasma cells. My prior research included materials in extreme environments, biomaterials in microfluidics, and engineered tumor microenvironments with 130+ referred journal publications.

I have been Professor of Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science at the Stevens Institute of Technology. I currently chair the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Under my leadership, the Department has become an innovative theater for our students to learn and faculty to teach and research.

For pedagogical innovation, I am exploring "guided AI use" to motivate and engage first-year students to learn biology more deeply and with relevance. I am also interested in transforming first-year science curriculum for biology and chemistry majors to be personalized, skill-based, and aligned with career aspiration and preparation.

Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2020-present

Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1997-2023

George Meade Bond Chair of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2009-2019

Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2001-2005

Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1997-2001

Research Staff Member, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1992-1997

Research Scientist, United Technologies Research Center, 1990-1992

My lab is located on the bank of the Hudson River in New Jersey with a spectacular view of Manhattan, New York. At this world-class location, my students and I are actively pursuing collaboration, translation, and entrepreneurship aimed at realizing the transformative use of our ideas. Notably, my lab has produced seven winners of the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame Graduate Student Award over the past decade.

Edison Patent Award, New Jersey R&D Council, 2022.
Academic Research Award: Printed Electronics USA Conference, 2011.
Master of Engineering (Honoris Causa): Stevens Institute of Technology, 2008.
Fellow, American Ceramic Society, 2004.

44 grants and contracts received primarily from ARDEC, DOE, NIH, NSF, and ONR.

22 U.S Patents awarded

Selected List of Recent Publications

C. Sui and W. Lee, “Role of Interleukin 6 and Its Soluble Receptor on the Diffusion Barrier Dysfunction of Alveolar Tissue,” Biomedical Microdevices, 25, 40 (2023).

L. Ezeonu, G. Baxter, W. Li, and W. Lee, ^“Knowledge-Building Approach to Address Societal Grand Challenge in Large-Enrollment Introductory Materials Science and Engineering Course,” Proceedings of the Annual ASEE National Meeting (2022).

C. Cui, Z. Zilberberg, and W. Lee, “Microfluidic Device Engineered to Study the Trafficking of Multiple Myeloma Cancer Cells through the Sinusoidal Niche of Bone Marrow,” Scientific Reports, 12, 1439 (2022).

S. Alshehri, T. Pavlovič, S. Farsinejad, P. Behboodi, L. Quan, D. Centeno, D. Kung, M. Rezler, W. Lee, P. Jasiński, E. Dziabaszewska, E. Nowak-Markwitz, D. Kalyon, M. Zaborowski, and M. Iwanicki, “Extracellular Matrix Modulates Outgrowth Dynamics in Ovarian Cancer,” 6, Advanced Biology (2022).

C. Uhl, T. Nyirenda, D. Siegel, W. Lee, and J. Zilberberg, “Natural Killer Cells Activity against Multiple Myeloma Cells Is Modulated by Osteoblasts,” Heliyon, 9, (2022).

Z. Chen, J. Zilberberg, and W. Lee, “Pumpless Microfluidic Device with Open Top Cell Culture under Oscillatory Shear Stress,” Biomedical Microdevices, 22, 1-10 (2020).

Y. Jin, Y. Zheng, S. Podkolzin, and W. Lee, “Band Gap of Reduced Graphene Oxide Tuned by Controlling Functional Groups,” J. Mater. Chem. C, 8, 4885 – 4894 (2020).

Y. Jin and W. Lee, “Crosslinking Stabilizes Electrical Resistance of Reduced Graphene Oxide in Humid Environment,” Langmuir, 35, 5427-5434 (2019).

Z. Chen, S. He, J. Zilberberg, and W. Lee, “Pumpless Platform for High-throughput Dynamic Multicellular Culture and Chemosensitivity Evaluation,” Lab on a Chip, 19, 254-261 (2019).

S. Choudhary, C. Mannion, Y. Kissin, E. Dziopa, L. Tricoli, C. Albanese, W. Y. Lee, and J. Zilberberg, “Human Ex Vivo 3D Bone Model Recapitulates Osteocyte Response to Metastatic Prostate Cancer,” Scientific Reports, 8, 17975 (2018).

Y. Jin. E Boon, E. Linh, and W. Lee, “Fabric-Infused Array of Reduced Graphene Oxide Sensors for Mapping of Skin Temperatures,” Sensors and Actuators A, 280, 92-98 (2018).

BIO181 Biology and Biotechnology
BME342 Transport in Biological Systems
ChE342 Heat and Mass Transfer
ChE345 Reactor Design
E344 Materials Processing
Mt602 Synthesis of Materials