Ji-Young Lee, PhD

Professor and Head

Department of Nutritional Sciences

Dr. Ji-Young Lee is a Professor and Head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, a position she has held since 2019. Under her leadership, the department continues to excel in teaching, research, and public service, advancing knowledge in areas such as nutrigenomics, clinical nutrition, food science, and public health.

Dr. Lee holds a BS and MS in Foods and Nutrition from Kyung Hee University in South Korea and earned her MS and PhD in Nutrition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She completed postdoctoral training at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where she studied ABC transporters in HDL metabolism and inflammation related to cardiovascular disease.

A Fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Nutrition (ACN), Dr. Lee is a highly respected researcher in the field of nutritional sciences. Her work focuses on understanding molecular mediators of energy metabolism, inflammation, and fibrogenic signaling, particularly in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and alcohol-related liver disease. She explores the regulatory roles of dietary compounds—including blue-green algae, berries, carotenoids, and NAD precursors—using state-of-the-art molecular techniques and bioenergetic tools. Recently, her research has investigated the role of class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) in metabolic, inflammatory, and fibrogenic pathways, using advanced cell type-specific deletion models.

Dr. Lee has built a notable research portfolio, securing over $10 million in competitive funding. Her funding sources include federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as the Connecticut Department of Public Health, industry partners, research foundations, and commodity boards. Dr. Lee’s outstanding contributions to research have been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including: Korean Nutrition Society Award from the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), Excellence in Research Award from UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, Junior Faculty for Excellence in Research Award from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has published 134 peer-reviewed journal articles in prestigious journals such as Hepatology, Journal of Pathology, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Journal of Nutrition, and Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. Her body of work also includes five book chapters and 132 abstracts, further establishing her as a leading voice in the field. Beyond her research, Dr. Lee is deeply engaged in the scientific community. She serves on grant review panels for the NIH, USDA, and AHA, playing a critical role in evaluating and advancing groundbreaking research. Additionally, she is an editorial board member for leading scientific journals, helping shape discussions at the forefront of nutritional science.

With 20 years of academic experience, Dr. Lee continues to drive innovation in nutritional sciences. Her research bridges the gap between molecular mechanisms and dietary interventions, offering new insights into preventing and managing metabolic diseases. As the Head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UConn, she remains committed to fostering excellence in education, research, and public service, ensuring that the next generation of nutrition scientists is well-equipped to tackle global health challenges.