Rate My Professor Wai-Leng Lee

Dr. Wai-Leng Lee is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Science at Monash University Malaysia, a position she has held since 2013. Prior to this, she conducted postdoctoral research at Academia Sinica, Taiwan, focusing on the discovery of novel anticancer activities of plant-based therapeutic agents. Lee earned her PhD in Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences from Academia Sinica in 2011, Master of Science in Biology from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2004, and Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Botany and Biology from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2000. At Monash, she teaches courses in biology, medical cell biology, and molecular biology and biotechnology.

Her research primarily investigates extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biomarkers for cancer detection and management of chemoresistance. Key projects include developing non-invasive prostate cancer screening using FTIR spectroscopy on urinary EVs, achieving an AUC of 0.7 compared to 0.437 for PSA alone. She explores EVs' roles in cisplatin resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma, identifying shared protein profiles like downregulated ATP1B3, and potential inhibition strategies. Other studies examine KRAS inhibition in colon cancer and its impact on EV production and recipient cell survival. With over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters garnering approximately 500 citations, notable works include "Detection of Prostate Cancer via IR Spectroscopic Analysis of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles: A Pilot Study" (2021), "Overcoming Chemoresistance via Extracellular Vesicle Inhibition" (2021), "The Convergence of FTIR and EVs: Emergence Strategy for Non-Invasive Cancer Markers Discovery" (2022), and contributions to "Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023)" (2024). Her invention for a non-invasive urine test for prostate cancer received a silver medal at the 31st International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX’20) in 2020. Lee also serves as a reviewer for journals including Cells and Cancers (MDPI) and Frontiers in Pharmacology.