March 27, 2013
In Memoriam: H.M. Lee, M.D.
UNOS celebrates the life and achievements of H.M. Lee, M.D., who passed away March 24. Dr. Lee was a pioneering transplant surgeon and researcher and played a major role in advancing the field of organ transplantation in the United States.
A native of the Republic of Korea, Dr. Lee served his entire career in transplantation at the Medical College of Virginia (now VCU Medical Center). In 1959 he joined the transplant program being established by Dr. David Hume, where he took part in many of the early procedures and research involving kidney, liver and heart transplantation.
Drs. Hume and Lee collaborated on groundbreaking research into the clinical relationship between kidney rejection and immunologic tissue typing, which led to major advances in the success of kidney transplantation, and they trained many transplant surgeons and physicians who remain in practice today. Upon Dr. Hume’s death in 1973, Dr. Lee succeeded him as Chief of Transplantation at the Medical College of Virginia, a post he held until 1994. In 2002, the VCU Health System renamed its transplant program “The Hume-Lee Transplant Center” in honor of both of these transplant pioneers.
Dr. Lee was instrumental in the establishment of the Southeastern Organ Procurement Foundation, from which UNOS was initially developed to assist in organ placement among its member transplant centers. He was also a founding influence in the establishment of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). As ASTS’ president from 1984 to 1985, he advocated for the passage of the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984, which established the national framework for organ recovery and allocation.
An archived interview he gave to ASTS recounts the many achievements in which he took part: http://www.asts.org/chimeraviewprofile.aspx?profile_id=19. Dr. Lee was a characteristically humble man, always quick to credit others with whom he shared his pioneering experiences. Yet in his genial and humble manner, he saved and enhanced the lives of many recipients and mentored countless transplant professionals who will continue to honor his legacy.
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