Kevin Lee, PhD
It is with deep sadness that we share news of the sudden passing of Kevin S. Lee, PhD, on October 26, 2025. Dr. Lee was a professor of neuroscience and neurosurgery, and a beloved researcher and educator at the UVA School of Medicine.
Dr. Lee was born on April 13, 1951 in Pasadena, CA. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in Psychology in 1975, and earned his PhD in Psychobiology from the University of California, Irvine in 1979. Dr. Lee completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, where he stayed for five years as research faculty. While in Munich, Dr. Lee met his wife, Gabriela, and the two moved to Philadelphia in 1986. There, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy at Thomas Jefferson University Medical School.
At the urging of a colleague from his Irvine days, William “Chip” Levy, PhD, formerly of UVA Neurosurgery, Dr. Lee joined the UVA School of Medicine in 1991 as an associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Lee was made a full professor in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience in 1995 and 1998, respectively. He was named Harrison Foundation Professor of Neuroscience and appointed the chair of the Department of Neuroscience in 2000, where he served with distinction until 2016. During this time, Dr. Lee was integral to the growth of neuroscience at UVA. He recruited and nurtured a group of young neuroscientists passionate about studying neuroimmunology and glia. The group developed the renowned UVA Center for Brain Immunology and Glia. He also was committed to cross-Grounds collaborations, helping lay the foundations of the Pan University Brain Institute.
Dr. Lee’s research program at UVA was distinguished by its innovative approaches to developing novel therapies for neurologic disease, with primary foci on stroke, epilepsy, and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). His stroke research focused on protecting ischemic penumbral tissue through “metabolic reflow,” a small molecule intervention designed to sustain metabolism and preserve cerebral viability until vascular reflow can be established. This approach culminated in a clinical trial in which first responders administered the treatment to patients with acute stroke. Much of his stroke-related research was enabled by the development of a hypothermia-induced ischemic preconditioning paradigm to induce ischemic tolerance and a simplified and reproducible three-vessel occlusion model, methodological advances that attracted neurosurgical fellows from around the world to his lab to learn this model.
In epilepsy, recognizing the challenge of pharmacoresistant cases, Dr. Lee explored nontraditional interventions including the early use of the Leksell Gamma Knife for targeted ablation and, more recently, focused ultrasound for noninvasive disruption of aberrant circuitry. The latter approach leverages transient blood–brain barrier opening for the targeted delivery of otherwise impermeable neurotoxins. Related principles have been extended to GBM research, where his team is investigating excitotoxic targeting of vulnerable tumor precursor cells.
In addition to Dr. Lee’s research excellence, he was a cherished mentor who trained clinician scientists, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates. Many of his mentees now serve as professors and leaders in academia across the U.S. and worldwide. They also became his lifelong friends and collaborators. Dr. Lee had an engaging manner that fostered a welcoming atmosphere. At holiday dinners, one might find young Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese neurosurgeons at his family table. These were heartwarming and often hilarious affairs, as these multinational guests learned one American family’s holiday traditions.
Dr. Lee was deeply dedicated to neuroscience graduate education at UVA. He served as the director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program and was the principal investigator of the UVA Neuroscience Training Grant for over 20 years. He was a passionate supporter of comprehensive, multidisciplinary neuroscience training.
Dr. Lee was a valued and dedicated member of the Neuroscience Department and the School of Medicine and will be greatly missed. His legacy lives on through his innovative work that will continue to shape neurological care in the future.
Filed Under: Faculty