CD Contributors
Michael Lee
A native of Fredericton, Michael Lee obtained his B.Sc. in Mathematics
with first class honours from UNB in 1977. He subsequently earned
a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario (1982)
under Dr. Derek Boughner, working on the tissue mechanics of the
pericardium and tissue-derived bioprosthetic heart valve materials.
During this period he won the Canadian Cardiovascular Society's
Annual Research Prize for his work on canine, human, and constrictive
human pericardium. From 1982-4, he was an MRC post-doctoral fellow
in Biomaterials with Dr. Robert Pilliar at the University of Toronto.
In 1984, Dr. Lee was awarded an Ontario Ministry of Health Career
Scientist Award and joined the faculty of the University of Toronto
(50% Engineering, 50% Dentistry). He remained at the University
of Toronto for a further 11 years, during this period winning the
Annual Teaching Prize of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.
In 1995, Dr. Lee left for Dalhousie University where he holds appointments in Dentistry, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, and Physics. Since 1997 he has served as the Chair of the Department of Applied Oral Sciences in the Faculty of Dentistry. As well, he was principal applicant for the $1.25 million Whitaker Foundation Special Opportunities award which established the new School of Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie. Dr. Lee has served as Interim Director of the unit since its inception in June 1999 and as Director since 2001.
Dr. Lee has long-standing research interests in the area of structure-function relations in natural connective tissues and in tissue-derived biomaterials for implantation. He is a recognized expert in the areas of mechanical properties and testing of tissues, chemical and physical processing of bioprosthetic materials, pericardial development and cardiac function, and thermoelasticity of connective tissue proteins.
He is currently chair of CIHR's Biomedical Engineering Peer Review Panel and has served as a member of the NSERC Advisory Group on Materials Research and the federal Biotechnology Human Resources Committee. He has held offices for more than a decade with the Canadian Biomaterials Society, recently organizing the scientific program for the 5th World Biomaterials Congress in Toronto. Dr. Lee is also currently President of the International Union for Biomaterials Science and Engineering and in 2000 was made an internation Fellow, Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE).
