Dr. Lee is a medical oncologist and scientist focused on understanding functional cancer genomics and developing effective immunotherapies for genitourinary cancers. He received an A.B. with highest honors in Biochemical Sciences at Harvard University and an M.D. at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth during which he participated in the HHMI-NIH Research Scholars Program. John completed his clinical training in internal medicine at Boston Medical Center. He proceeded to a Specialty Training and Advanced Research fellowship in medical oncology at UCLA where he obtained a Ph.D. from the Molecular Biology Institute and completed a postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Owen Witte.

Dr. Lee is an Associate Professor-in-Residence in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine and Institute for Urologic Oncology, Department of Urology as well as a member of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at UCLA. His lab has concentrated on 1) deciphering gene interactions that drive cancer initiation/progression and establish distinct cancer states and 2) advancing immunotherapies for clinical translation in prostate and bladder cancer. He collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to effectively translate discoveries from the lab to the clinic for the potential benefit of patients. Dr. Lee’s work has led to the ongoing development of early phase clinical trials investigating two CAR T cell therapies for advanced prostate cancer.

He is a recipient of the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator and Challenge Awards, Society for Basic Urologic Research Young Investigator and Eula and Donald S. Coffey Innovative Research Awards, Robert J Kleberg Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation Medical Research Grant, and multiple awards from the Department of Defense.