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Faculty Detail    
Name TIMMY LEE
Professor of Medicine
Associate Fellowship Director-Research
Associate Director-Interventional Nephrology
Associate Director, Nephrology Research Training Center
Associate Section Chief-Nephrology, Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical center
 
Campus Address ZRB 524
Phone  (205) 934-3589
E-mail  txlee@uab.edu
Other websites Physician Profile
     

Education
Undergraduate  Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA    2001  M.D. 
Residency  University of Alabama at Birmingham    2004  Internal Medicine 
Fellowship  University of Alabama at Birmingham    2007  Nephrology 
Graduate  University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health    2007  M.S.P.H. 

Certifications
American Board of Internal Medicine  2004 
American Board of Internal Medicine-Nephrology  2007 


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Med - Nephrology  Med - Nephrology Professor
Secondary  Dept of Biomedical Engineering  Dept of Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor
Center  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci Professor
Center  Ctr for Palliative & Supportive Care (Org Ret)  Ctr for Palliative & Supportive Care (Org Ret) Professor
Center  Nephrology Research & Training Center  Nephrology Research & Training Center Professor

Biographical Sketch 
Dr. Lee received his medical degree from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport in 2001. Upon graduation he completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 2001-2004. He then completed a clinical and research fellowship in nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2007. During his fellowship, he obtained a Masters of Science in Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Alabama School of Public Health. Dr. Lee was a faculty member in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Cincinnati from 2007-2013. He returned to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2013.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American College of Physicians     
American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology     
American Society of Nephrology     
International Society of Nephrology     
National Kidney Foundation     
Vascular Access Society of America     



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Translational Research in Hemodialysis Vascular Access
Description
The long-term goals of our research program are to: (1) elucidate the mechanisms of arteriovenous fistula maturation failure, (2) develop and test novel therapies to improve AVF maturation failure, and (3) improve the delivery and processes of care for advanced chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis patients requiring a new dialysis vascular access. Our clinical research program focuses on: (1) studying practice patterns and delivery of care from large (United States Renal Data System and Medicare) and local (University) administrative databases, (2) investigator-initiated clinical studies utilizing vascular tissue samples to study biological characteristics of patient vessels at the time and following vascular access creation, vascular function testing, and ultrasound, and (3) clinical trials in vascular access. Our translational research program utilizes rodent (mice and rat) and large animal models (pig) to further elucidate mechanisms of arteriovenous fistula remodeling and neointimal hyperplasia development. We have employed these animal models to: (1) elucidate mechanisms that impact vascular health and endothelial function during arteriovenous fistula development, (2) elucidate mechanisms of angioplasty injury in arteriovenous fistulas, and (3) develop and test novel bionanomatrix-delivered small molecule and peptide therapies to improve arteriovenous fistula remodeling and inhibit neointimal hyperplasia development. The foundation of our vascular access research program is derived from an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaborative approach. Our research team includes nephrologists, vascular access surgeons, interventional nephrologist and radiologists, animal and clinical radiologists, bioengineers, vascular biologists, vascular access coordinators, clinical trials coordinators, and epidemiologists and biostatisticians. Our research program is supported by grants from the Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health, non-profit foundation grants, and institutional pilot award mechanisms.

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Lee T, Lok CE. How Can the Complications of Central Vein Catheters Be Reduced?: From Barrier Protection to Showering: Extraluminal Prophylaxis and Management of Catheter Infections. Semin Dial. 2016 Feb 20. 26896759  Semin Dial. 2016 Feb 20. 
Haq NU, Althaf MM, Lee T. Accessory Vein Obliteration for Early Fistula Failure: A Myth or Reality?   26524948 
Lee T, Ul Haq N. New Developments in Our Understanding of Neointimal Hyperplasia. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2015 Nov;22(6):431-7.  26524947 
Lee T, Thamer M, Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Allon M. Outcomes of Elderly Patients after Predialysis Vascular Access Creation. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2015 Dec;26(12):3133-40.  25855782 
Lee T, Lok CE. Influence of drugs on arteriovenous vascular access dysfunction. J Vasc Access. 2015;16 Suppl 9:S61-5.  25751553 
Chan JS, Campos B, Wang Y, Mistry M, Lee T, Munda R, Arend L, Roy-Chaudhury P. Proliferation patterns in a pig model of AV fistula stenosis: can we translate biology into novel therapies? Semin Dial. 2014 Nov-Dec;27(6):626-32.  24865128 
Lee T, Somarathna M, Hura A, Wang Y, Campos B, Arend L, Munda R, Roy-Chaudhury P. Natural history of venous morphologic changes in dialysis access stenosis. J Vasc Access. 2014 Jul-Aug;15(4):298-305.  24500849 
Lee T, Wang Y, Arend L, Cornea V, Campos B, Munda R, Roy-Chaudhury P. Comparative analysis of cellular phenotypes within the neointima from vein segments collected prior to vascular access surgery and stenotic arteriovenous dialysis accesses. Semin Dial. 2014 May-Jun;27(3):303-9.  24341903 
Vachharajani TJ, Moist LM, Glickman MH, Vazquez MA, Polkinghorne KR, Lok CE, Lee TC. Elderly patients with CKD--dilemmas in dialysis therapy and vascular access. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2014 Feb;10(2):116-22  24296629 
Roy-Chaudhury P, Khan R, Campos B, Wang Y, Kurian M, Lee T, Arend L, Munda R. Pathogenetic role for early focal macrophage infiltration in a pig model of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) stenosis. J Vasc Access. 2014 Jan-Feb;15(1):25-8  24043320  
Roy-Chaudhury P, Lee TC, Munda R. Predicting dialysis vascular access blood flow and diameter: too much, too little, or just right. Kidney Int. 2013 Dec;84(6):1076-8.   24280751 
Campos B, Lee T, and Roy-Chaudhury P. Arteriovenous Fistula Failure, Is There a Role for Epigenetic Regulation? Semin Nephrol 33: 400-406, 2013  24011582 
Lee T. Novel Paradigms for Dialysis Vascular Access: Downstream Vascular Biology-Is There a Final Common Pathway? 2013 Dec;8(12):2194-201  23990166 
Nica A, Lok CE, Harris J, Lee T, Mokryzcki M, Maya I, Vazquez M, Xi W, and Moist L. Understanding surgical preference and practice in hemodialysis vascular access creation. Semin Dial 26: 520-526, 2013  23517536 
Moist LM, Lee T, Lok CE, Al-Jaishi A, Xi W, Campbell V, Graham J, Wilson B, Vachharajani TJ. Education in Vascular Access. Semin Dial 26: 148-153, 2013  23432319 
Roy-Chaudhury P, Lee T, Woodle B, Wadehra D, Campos-Naciff B, and Munda R. Balloon-assisted Maturation (BAM) of the Arteriovenous Fistula: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Semin Nephrol 32: 558-63, 2012.   23217336 
Moist LM, Lok CE, Vachharajani TJ, Wang X, AlJaishi A, Polkinghorne KR, PhD, Vazquez M, Lee T. Optimal Vascular Access in the Elderly Patient. Semin Dial: 25: 640-648, 2012  23173892 
Roy-Chaudhury P, Chan JS, Lee T, Mistry M, Campos B, Wang Y, Munda R. Of Veins, Valves, and Vascular Access! Kidney Int 82: 1236-1237, 2012  23151987 
Roy-Chaudhury P, El-Khatib M, Ramani K, Wadehra D, Leesar M, Mistry M, Campos B, Wang Y, Chan J, Lee T, Munda R. Back to the Future: How Biology and Technology could Change the Role of PTFE Grafts in Vascular Access Management. Semin Dial 25: 495-504, 2012  22518310 
Lee T, Safdar N, Mistry M, Wang Y, Chauhan V, Campos B, Munda, R, Cornea V, and Roy-Chaudhury P. Pre-existing Venous Calcification Prior to Dialysis Vascular Access Surgery. Semin Dial: 25: 592-595, 2012
 
22452638 
Lee T, Tindni A, and Roy-Chaudhury P. Improved Cumulative Survival in Fistulas Requiring Surgical Interventions to Promote Maturation Compared to Endovascular Interventions. Semin Dial 26: 85-9, 2013  22404567 
Lee T and Wadehra D. Genetic Causation of Neointimal Hyperplasia in Hemodialysis Vascular Access Dysfunction. Semin Dial: 25: 65-73, 2012  21917012 
Lee T, Mokrzycki MH, Moist LM, Maya I, Vazquez M, and Lok CE. Standardized Definitions for Hemodialysis Vascular Access. Semin Dial: 24: 515-524, 2011
 
21906166 
Lee T, Roy-Chaudhury P, Thakar CV. Improving Incident Fistula Rates: A Process of Care Issue. Am J Kidney Dis 57: 814-817, 2011  21601127 
Lee T, Chauhan V, Krishnamoorthy M, Wang Y, Arend L, El-Khatib M, Munda R, and Roy-Chaudhury P. Severe Venous Neointimal Hyperplasia Prior to Dialysis Access Surgery. Nephrol Dial Transplant: 26: 2264-2270, 2011  21220751 
Lee T, Ullah A, Allon M, Succop P, El-Khatib M, and Roy-Chaudhury P. Decreased Cumulative Access Survival in Arteriovenous Fistulas Requiring Interventions to Promote Maturation. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 6: 575-581, 2011
 
21088288 
Yevslin AS, Chan MR, Becker YT, Roy-Chaudhury P, Lee T, Becker BN. “Venopathy” at Work: Recasting Neointimal Hyperplasia in a New Light. Transl Res 156: 216-225, 2010
 
20875897 
Roberts C, Lee T. Study looks at ways to increase AVF placement. Interview by Cynthia Roberts. Nephrol News Issues. 2010 Aug;24(9):29, 31, 33  20865957 
Xi W, MacNab J, Lok C, Lee T, Maya I, Mokrzycki M, Moist LM. Who is eligible for a fistula? A survey of nephrologists. Nephrol Dialysis Transplant 25: 2644-51, 2010  20176614  
Lee T and Roy-Chaudhury P. Advances and New Frontiers in the Pathophysiology of Venous Neointimal Hyperplasia and Dialysis Access Stenosis. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis 16: 329-338, 2009  19695501 
Roy-Chaudhury P and Lee T. Vascular Stenosis: Biology and Interventions. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 16: 516-522, 2007  18089964 
Lee T, Barker J, and Allon M. Comparison of Survival of Upper Arm Arteriovenous Fistulas and Grafts after Failed Forearm Fistula. J Am Soc Nephrol 18: 1936-1941, 2007  17475812  
Lee T, Barker J, Allon M. Needle Infiltrations of Arteriovenous Fistulas in Hemodialysis: Risk Factors and Consequences. Am J Kidney Dis 47: 1020-1026, 2006  16731297 
Lee T, Barker J, Allon M. Tunneled Catheters in Hemodialysis Patients: Reasons and Subsequent Outcomes. Am J Kidney Dis 46: 501-508, 2005

 
16129212 
Lee T, Barker J, Allon M. Associations with Predialysis Vascular Access Management. Am J Kidney Dis 43: 1008-1013, 2004  15168380 

Keywords
Arteriovenous Fistula, Arteriovenous Graft, Dialysis Catheter, Neointimal Hyperplasia, Endothelial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation