Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Medical Physiology
University of Missouri-Columbia
2000
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Faculty
Faculty
Dexter L. Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department/Office
- Physiology & Biophysics
School/College
- College of Medicine
Biography
Dexter L. Lee, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Howard University College of Medicine. He serves as director of the Education, Mentoring and Resources to Generate Excellence Consortium in the College of Medicine.
Lee has served on the Howard University College of Medicine Curriculum Committee and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. He also serves on Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation committees in the College of Medicine and as co-coordinator of the Structure and Function Unit 3 medical course for first-year medical students. Lee serves as the Howard University Leadership Alliance Summer Research Programs institutional coordinator. His research focuses on the contribution of inflammatory cytokines to sodium reabsorption in the kidney and chronic blood pressure control. His work also examines urinary proteins associated with the early stages of chronic kidney disease. Lee has trained numerous high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical students in his laboratory.
Lee graduated with honors from Jackson State University with a Bachelor of Science in biology. While at Jackson State, he was a student in the Honors College and a member of the Sonic Boom of the South and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He received a Master of Science in biology from the University of Akron and a Ph.D. in medical physiology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. After completing postdoctoral fellowships at the Medical College of Georgia, he joined the faculty of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Howard University College of Medicine. He was promoted to associate professor and served as the department's director of graduate studies. He was a recipient of the Career-Mentored K01 Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and currently serves as a collaborator on an aging training grant and Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science pilot grants. He also serves as TL1 co-director of the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science Scholars Program and previously served as KL1 co-director. Lee serves as co-director of the Howard University Research Centers at Minority Institutions Professional Development Key Activity and institutional coordinator for the Leadership Alliance Summer Programs at Howard University.
Lee is an active member of the American Physiological Society and the American Heart Association. He served as chair of the Porter Physiology Development and Minority Affairs Committee from 2011 to 2013. Lee was elected to the American Physiological Society Council and served as chair of the APS Committee on Committees. He also served on the American Heart Association Diversity Leadership Committee.
Education & Expertise
Education
Master of Science (M.S.)
Biology
University of Akron
1994
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Biology
Jackson State University
1992
Expertise
Research training of undergraduate, graduate and professional students
Professional Development
Areas of Expertise
Physiology & Biophysics
Specialty Area: Renal Physiology
Academics
Academics
General Physiology
Biomedical Science I
Medical Physiology
Research
Research
Specialty
Integrative PhysiologistFunding
CURRENT:
NIH/NCATS 5TL1TR001431-10 (Contact PI: Sandberg, Multiple PI: Lee). 08/28/15 – 03/31/26.
Translational Biomedical Science Training Grant
The Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS) institutional translational biomedical science (TBS) program capitalizes on the large diversity of potential mentorship in clinical and translational research offered through GHUCCTS institutions including faculty from Georgetown and Howard Universities and the GHUCCTS partnering institutions, MedStar Health Research Institute and the Washington, DC Veterans Administration. The overall goal of the TBS program is to prepare predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows to serve as leaders in forming critical links in advancing the translation of basic science in to improved outcomes for health, aging, and disease.
NCATS/NIH UL1-TR001409 (MPI: Verbalis/Mellman/Gondré-Lewis). 08/28/15 – 03/31/26.
Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science
The Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS) is a primary partnership of Georgetown University (GU) and Howard University (HU), with 3 affiliated institutions: MedStar Health Research Institute (MHRI), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center (DCVAMC).
Role: Co-Investigator
NIH/NIMHD G12MD007597 (PI: Southerland). 07/01/19-06/30/26.
Biomedical Infrastructure for Health Disparities Research
The Howard University (HU) biomedical research goals include the pursuit of the resolution of diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans and to encourage multidisciplinary approaches to research. Critical toachieving these goals is the availability of specialty core facilities, enhanced opportunities for collaborative research,and enhanced professional development opportunities for the HU investigator community. The goal of professional development key activity is to enhance research expertise, training and mentoring among the faculty andpostdoctoral fellows engaged and interested in health disparities research.
Role: Co-Director
Group Information
Bibliography:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/dexter.lee.1/bibliography/public/
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
Howard University College of Medicine LCME Curriculum Committee, 2026
Howard University College of Medicine LCME Governance Committee, 2026
American Physiological Society Governance Transition Task Force, 2024
Howard University Liaison Committee on Medical Education Standard 9 Committee, 2024
Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
How PPAR-alpha mediated inflammation may affect the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease
How PPAR-alpha mediated inflammation may affect the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major risk factor for death in adults. Inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of CKD, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) is a nuclear receptor and one of the three members (PPARα, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ) of the PPARs that plays an important role in ameliorating pathological processes that accelerate acute and chronic kidney disease. Although other PPARs members are well studied, the role of PPAR-α is not well described and its role in inflammation-mediated chronic disease is not clear. Herein, we review the role of PPAR-α in chronic kidney disease with implications for the immune system.
Role of NHERF1 in MicroRNA Landscape Changes in Aging Mouse Kidneys
Role of NHERF1 in MicroRNA Landscape Changes in Aging Mouse Kidneys
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of cellular function and fate via post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Although several miRNAs are associated with physiological processes and kidney diseases, not much is known about changes in miRNAs in aging kidneys. We previously demonstrated that sodium hydrogen exchanger 1 (NHERF1) expression regulates cellular responses to cisplatin, age-dependent salt-sensitive hypertension, and sodium-phosphate cotransporter trafficking. However, the mechanisms driving these regulatory effects of NHERF1 on cellular processes are unknown. Here, we hypothesize that dysregulation of miRNA-mediated gene regulatory networks that induce fibrosis and cytokines may depend on NHERF1 expression. To address this hypothesis, we compared miRNA expression in kidneys from both male and female old (12–18-month-old) and young (4–7-month-old) wild-type (WT) and NHERF1 knockout (NHERF1−/−) mice. Our results identified that miRNAs significantly decreased in NHERF1−/− mice included miR-669m, miR-590-3p, miR-153, miR-673-3p, and miR-127. Only miR-702 significantly decreased in aged WT mice, while miR-678 decreased in both WT and NHERF1−/− old versus young mice. miR-153 was shown to downregulate transcription factors NFATc2 and NFATc3 which regulate the transcription of several cytokines. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting revealed a significant increase in nuclear NFATc2 and NFATc3 in old NHERF1−/− mice compared to old WT mice. Our data further show that expression of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, MCP1, and TNF-α significantly increased in the old NHERF1−/− mice compared to the WT mice. We conclude that loss of NHERF1 expression induces cytokine expression in the kidney through interactive regulation between miR-153 and NFATc2/NFATc3 expression.
Tips on navigating the first year of graduate school for individuals from historically excluded backgrounds
So, you’ve earned the coveted entrance into a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in physiology or biomedical sciences! Congratulations! You are embarking on a training and career path not often traveled by many. You should feel excited and proud of your accomplishments thus far! Although you may have consulted individuals currently pursuing a PhD, you probably are still unsure of what lies ahead. Moreover, if you are from a historically excluded background, this educational pursuit may seem daunting because there aren’t many individuals that may share your background and/or experiences. Don’t worry! Here, we provide valuable strategies to help you navigate the first year of graduate school.
Juneteenth in STEMM and the barriers to equitable science
Juneteenth in STEMM and the barriers to equitable science
We are 52 Black scientists. Here, we establish the context of Juneteenth in STEMM and discuss the barriers Black scientists face, the struggles they endure, and the lack of recognition they receive. We review racism’s history in science and provide institutional-level solutions to reduce the burdens on Black scientists.
Supporting and promoting Black physiologists
Supporting and promoting Black physiologists: how can the APS help?
Diversity is vital to enhance science quality, decision-making, strategic planning, and operations of all scientific professional societies. Generally, the best decisions are reached when an issue has been informed by a variety of opinions from a diverse group. To echo a recent editorial in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, all efforts to improve diversity in the American Physiological Society (APS), whether focused on gender, race/ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation, are warranted. Within the context of race/ethnicity, the authors acknowledge the continued need of support for all underrepresented minority groups. However, this perspective focuses on the importance of promoting Black physiologists.
In America, Black and African-American individuals are significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) careers at every stage, at the undergraduate level through workforce leadership. This underrepresentation is amplified with the advancing career stage. For example, 13% of the population is Black, but in 2020, only 4.4% of doctorate recipients in biological and biomedical sciences identified as Black or African American. Specific to physiology, Black scientists represent ∼8% of predoctoral trainees, 6% of postdoctoral scientists, and less than 1% of faculty in physiology departments. This editorial will highlight how these statistics are a by-product of larger systemic structures that propagate inequity and how APS is uniquely positioned to assist Black physiologists to tackle this disparity.