Assistant Professor Lee Soon-U, Lawrence

Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore Academic Associate Consultant, National Healthcare Group, Singapore Telephone DID: (65)6772 2547 Telefax: (65)6772 5680 Mail to: mdcllsu@nus.edu.sg
Qualifications
Ph.D., Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation(Phi Beta Kappa) Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA May 2007 MRCP (UK, Edinburgh) Royal Colleges of Physicians, United Kingdom April 2002 BSc (Med); MBBS (Honours Class 1)University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia 1992 - 1997

Summary

I am a practising physician trained in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases/HIV Medicine. I have completed a Ph.D. in the renowned Clinical Investigation program at the Johns Hopkins University and fellowships in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology with board certifications. My interests are in clinical and translational research in therapeutics and drug development. I have conducted many research projects and have obtained much grant support from various sources. I am currently amply funded by the National Healthcare Group CEO Special Research Fund for 3 years, and the US National Institutes of Health International Postdoctoral fellowship. My current interest is induction of phase 2 enzymes especially UDP-glucuronosyl transferases (UGTs) and antioxidant enzymes, especially by botanical compounds, because of its significance in drug metabolism and prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases. I am particularly interested in early phase clinical trials and developing clinical probes for the activity of these enzymes. I also run a small laboratory to do cell line work to provide in vitro foundations for the clinical studies. My other research interest is in optimizing the therapy of HIV-infected patients, especially in investigating variability in drug concentrations between people and ethnic groups, drug-drug interactions/mechanisms and individualizing therapy. I welcome collaborations with anyone with good ideas on studying these.

Representative Publications

Lee LS, Panchalingam A, Yap MC, Paton NI. Pharmacokinetics of indinavir at 800, 600, and 400 milligrams administered with ritonavir at 100 milligrams and efavirenz in ethnic chinese patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2004 Nov;48(11):4476-8.

Ong KC, Ng AW, Lee LS, Kaw G, Kwek SK, Leow MK, Earnest A. 1-Year Pulmonary Function and Health Status in Survivors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Chest. 2005;128:1393-1400

Lee LS, Andrade AS, Flexner CW. Natural Health Product-Antiretroviral Drug Interactions: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Effects. Clin Inf Dis 2006 Oct 15 ;43(8):1052-9.

Lee LS, Wise SD, Chan C, Parsons TL, Flexner C, Lietman PS. Possible Differential Induction of Phase 2 Enzyme and Antioxidant Pathways by American Ginseng, Panax quinquefolius. J Clin Pharmacol. 2008;48:599-609