Current Members
| kayeelee@uchicago.edu | ERC 399B |
Ka Yee C. Lee
Professor
Ka Yee C. Lee is Interim Dean of the Division of the Physical Sciences and the David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, the James Franck Institute, the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and the College.
Ka Yee’s honors include recognition as a Searle Scholar, a David and Lucile Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering, and a Sloan Research Fellow. She is also an elected member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, a fellow of the Biophysical Society, and a fellow of the American Physical Society.
Additionally, Ka Yee has received the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and holds the distinction of being the inaugural recipient of the Arthur L. Kelly Prize for Exceptional Faculty Service in the Physical Sciences Division. Previously, Lee served as provost of the University, vice provost for research, the director of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, and associate director of the James Franck Institute.
Stanford University, Postdoctoral Fellow, 1992-1994.
National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellow, 1994-95.
University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow, 1995-97.
National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellow, 1997-98.
PhD, Harvard University 1992
MS, Harvard University 1987
ScB, Brown University 1986
Miah Turke
Graduate Student
Miah’s research uses biophysical techniques to understand how membrane properties change the membrane-bound conformation and binding site density of Parkinson’s Disease-associated protein, alpha-synuclein. She believes that membranes are often undervalued players in biology, and is broadly interested in how changes in lipid composition impact the function of proteins. In addition to research, Miah is a passionate teacher and two-time Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning (CCTL) Fellow — a program where she is able to talk pedagogy regularly with her peers, and is able to help train the next generation of teachers. Outside of lab, she enjoys painting, exploring nature, and leading a bird watching group.
MS in Chemistry, University of Chicago 2020
BS in Chemistry, Michigan State University 2019
| mturke@uchicago.edu | GCIS ESB31 |
Anna Gaffney
Graduate Student
Anna Gaffney (she/her/they/them) is a PhD candidate in Biophysical Sciences, conducting research under joint mentorship of Dr. Ka Yee Lee and Dr. Luka Pocivavsek. She is from Marysville, MI, and received her BS in Biophysics in 2020 at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. During their undergrad, they conducted experimental research studying the liquid-liquid phase behavior of lipid vesicles in relation to composition and temperature. For her current thesis work, she studies how lipid monolayers at the air-water interface collapse under compression. She combines experimental lipid monolayer research (through fluorescence microscopy conducted in the Lee Lab) with computational lipid monolayer modeling (through finite element simulations of elastic continuum mechanics in the SurgBioMech Lab), to characterize the morphology and mechanical stability of lipid monolayers undergoing collapse. In their free time, they enjoy reading, exploring Chicago’s queer community, and playing with her 2 cats. See their personal website HERE.
MS in Biophysics, University of Chicago 2023
BS in Biophysics, University of Michigan 2020
| adgaffney@uchicago.edu | GCIS ESB31 |
Shou-Ting Hsieh
Graduate Student
Shou-Ting is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry. She is from Taiwan and received her BS in chemistry, minor in plant pathology and microbiology, in 2016 in National Taiwan University (NTU). Then, she received her MS in chemistry in 2018. During her master degree, she was working with Prof. Yuan-Chung Cheng in NTU and constructing an effective model to investigate the energy transfer dynamics in photosystem II core complex. For her current thesis work, she utilizes fluorescent spectroscopy, X-ray reflectometry and molecular dynamics simulations to understand the cooperative membrane binding of a Phosphatidylserine (PS)-binding protein to PS lipids—human Transmembrane Immunoglobulin mucin domain protein 4 (hTIM4). During her free time, she enjoys playing puzzles and exploring vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Chicago.
MS in Chemistry, University of Chicago 2021
MS in Chemistry, National Taiwan University 2018
BS in Chemistry, National Taiwan University 2016
| shoutinghsieh@uchicago.edu | GCIS ESB31 |
Stephen Gee
Graduate Student
Stephen (he/him) is co-advised by Ka Yee Lee and Benoît Roux and uses molecular dynamics as well as experimental techniques to analyze peripheral membrane protein binding. He is currently studying the binding dynamics of the Human Coagulation Factor VIII C2 Domain in simulations and using tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy. Outside of lab, you can often find Stephen in Ratner Gym lifting weights and playing basketball, at Costco, or exploring Chicago’s restaurant and music scene with friends. Swag 
.
BS in Biocomputational Engineering, Lehigh University 2023
| gees@uchicago.edu | GCIS ESB31 |