CONTACT INFORMATIONCREDENTIALSPUBLICATIONSWhasil Lee, Ph.D.Contact InformationPhone NumbersOffice: (585) 276-4631Research LabsVisit Lab WebsiteLocationsUniversity of Rochester500 Joseph C. Wilson Blvd.Box 270168Rochester, NY 14611Faculty AppointmentsAssistant Professor - Department of Biomedical Engineering (RC) Assistant Professor - Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (SMD) - JointBiographyResearchThe Lee Lab studies the mechanically activated ion channels expressed in knee joint cells to gain fundamental insights into mechanotransduction-related tissue development, maintenance, and degeneration. We investigate the mechanotransduction mechanisms of chondrocytes, synoviocytes, ligament cells, joint-innervating neurons and chondrogenic stem cells in both physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions. Our overarching goal is to deconstruct the function of key mechanotransducing ion channels of musculoskeletal cells and to and apply this knowledge to find rational therapeutic drugs which can stop the progression of osteoarthritis, stop the arthritis associated pain and/or regenerate healthy cartilage.PublicationsJournal Articles7/6/2022Fraser D, Nguyen T, Kotelsky A, Lee W, Buckley M, Benoit DSW. "Hydrogel Swelling-Mediated Strain Induces Cell Alignment at Dentin Interfaces." ACS biomaterials science & engineering.. 2022 Jul 6; Epub 2022 Jul 06. 2022Gao W, Hasan H, Anderson DE, Lee W. "The Role of Mechanically-Activated Ion Channels Piezo1, Piezo2, and TRPV4 in Chondrocyte Mechanotransduction and Mechano-Therapeutics for Osteoarthritis." Frontiers in cell and developmental biology.. 2022 10:885224. Epub 2022 May 04. 3/30/2021Lee W, Nims RJ, Savadipour A, Zhang Q, Leddy HA, Liu F, McNulty AL, Chen Y, Guilak F, Liedtke WB. "Inflammatory signaling sensitizes Piezo1 mechanotransduction in articular chondrocytes as a pathogenic feed-forward mechanism in osteoarthritis." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2021 Mar 30; 118(13)VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONSClose WindowSchedule an appointment with Whasil Lee, Ph.D.Please answer the following questions to help us find the right appointment for you.Important: If you believe that you have a medical or psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. This website is not intended for emergency care.Have you seen this provider in the last 2 years?YesNoExisting Patient Schedule or request a follow up appointment online through MyChart. If you do not have a MyChart account, please close this window and call the appointment phone number. Whasil Lee, Ph.D. is currently scheduling for the following appointment type(s): Our policy does not permit patients to establish care with multiple providers within the same practice or specialty without prior approval. If you choose a new provider in the same office, we will cancel the appointment. Please contact the office directly with questions on this policy.