Professor Lee graduated from Seoul National University and has built an impressive career as a hepatic and transplant surgeon. He has worked at Samsung Medical Center and the National Cancer Center, Korea, and has also served as a living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) consultant at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. He is currently a professor in the Department of Surgery at Seoul National University, Korea.
Professor Lee performed Korea’s first successful hepatocyte transplantation while at Samsung Medical Center. His research focuses on addressing unmet needs in liver transplantation, including liquid biopsy-based diagnostic and prognostic markers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatocyte and liver tumor organoids, microbiome research in transplantation, gene delivery into grafts, cancer stem cells, optimal immunosuppressive strategies after liver transplantation for HCC, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
In addition to his research contributions, Professor Lee has developed several innovative surgical techniques to reduce biliary complications after liver transplantation, such as High Hilar Dissection (HHD) and Tailored Telescopic Reconstruction (TTR) of the bile duct. His work has also influenced national healthcare policies—he played a key role in reforming Korea’s deceased donor liver allocation system, contributing to the implementation of MELD-based allocation and regulations for split liver transplantation through his extensive research and publications.
Professor Lee has made significant contributions to global liver transplantation. He performed Korea’s first living donor liver transplantation for foreign patients while at the National Cancer Center and has since performed over 200 LDLT masterclass across Kazakhstan, Georgia, Myanmar, Mongolia, and Indonesia since 2013. He has also been a pioneer in minimally invasive liver transplantation, performing all donor hepatectomies laparoscopically since 2016 and achieving a world first in minimally invasive recipient surgery using robotic and laparoscopic approaches.
Currently, he serves as Past President of the Korean Liver Transplantation Society and Secretary General of the International Living Donor Liver Transplantation Group (iLDLTG). In addition to his surgical and academic roles, he is a leader in global healthcare initiatives. He has served as Vice President for Global Planning and Development at Seoul National University Hospital for two years, Executive Director of the International Health Care Center for five years, and has played a key role in Korea’s hospital project in Kuwait.