Above: Timmy Lee, MD, Professor in the Division of Nephrology

Timmy Lee, M.D., will serve as the next Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine. In this role, Dr. Lee will build the culture of inquiry in the department and grow high-impact research across all divisions.

Dr. Lee is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Section Chief of Nephrology at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He serves as the Associate Nephrology Fellowship Director of Research, Associate Director of the Nephrology Research Training Center, and Associate Director of the UAB Kidney Undergraduate Research Experience (KURE) program.

With robust programs in both clinical and translational research, Dr. Lee has been involved in hemodialysis vascular access investigation since 2003. His clinical focus is on large population epidemiologic studies and clinical trials in dialysis vascular access. His translational research focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of vascular access stenosis from human clinical studies and using histologic, genomic, and advanced imaging techniques in rodent and large porcine arteriovenous fistula (AVF) models.

Dr. Lee has received numerous accolades for his roles in research, teaching, clinical service and leadership. He has successfully secured extramural funding throughout his career, including NIH R01 awards, National Kidney Foundation awards, VA Merit awards, investigator-initiated awards from industry, and the ASN Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar grant.

His work has resulted in numerous publications in high-profile journals, including the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, and the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. He has authored more than 75 original articles, as well as invited reviews and editorials.

Dr. Lee completed medical school at the Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in Nephrology at UAB. Dr. Lee also received his MSPH from UAB in 2007. In August 2008, Dr. Lee was appointed as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, with promotion to the rank of Associate Professor in September 2012. In 2013, Dr. Lee was recruited to UAB as an Associate Professor of Medicine, and he became a full Professor in 2018.

Many thanks to Dr. Stu Frank, who chaired the Search Committee, as well as the members of the committee, Drs. Tika Benveniste, Orlando Gutierrez, Chad Hunter, Cindy Joiner, Gregory Payne, Laura Rogers and Steve Rowe, for their invaluable service and final recommendations.