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Wen-Yee Lee

TitleDr.
Faculty RankAssociate Professor
InstitutionUniversity of Texas at El Paso
Departmentchemistry
Address500 West University
El Paso TX 79968
Phone9157478413
Fax9157475748
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    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview
    My research has been focusing on developing methods to analyze organic compounds in various
    environmental compartments (such as air, water, soil, and plants) and biological fluids (such as urine and saliva)
    using a green sample preparation technique- Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction- coupled with Gas
    Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. The projects in my research lab have involved (1) studies of
    environmental endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), such as pharmaceuticals and estrogens,
    glucocorticoids, and polybrominated diphenol ethers, in wastewater and sludge samples, (2) monitoring water
    quality in the Rio Grande and other water systems, (3) investigating estrogenic activities of EDCs in wastewater,
    and (4) developing techniques to remove EDCs in drinking water and wastewater. Based on the occurrence and
    concentrations of EDCs in the surface and other water sources, we are able to assess their impacts on human
    health and aquatic life. Other projects in my group include chemical analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
    in air, analysis of water soluble fraction of biofuel using environment friendly methods, passive sampler for
    detection of VOCs.

    Recently, we investigated the organic metabolites in urine to study the biomarkers in urine for cancer diagnosis. We are able to develop more accurate diagnostic tool for prostate cancer and renal cancer with over 90% accuracy.

    I have 13 years of experience in providing research experience for undergraduate and graduate students
    especially under-represented minority (URM) students in STEM fields. My mentorship expands from research activities to development of professional skills.

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Mena A, Luna JR, MacGregor F, Landa EN, Metta-Maga?a A, Lee WY, Fortier S. Photoinduced Cleavage of a Strained N-C Bond in an Iron Complex Supported by Super-Bulky Amidinate and Guanidinate Ligands. Inorg Chem. 2024 Mar 25; 63(12):5351-5364. PMID: 38481142.
      Citations:    Fields:    
    2. Noriega Landa E, Quaye GE, Su X, Badmos S, Holbrook KL, Polascik TJ, Adams ES, Deivasigamani S, Gao Q, Annabi MH, Habib A, Lee WY. Urinary fatty acid biomarkers for prostate cancer detection. PLoS One. 2024; 19(2):e0297615. PMID: 38335180.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:Humans
    3. Badmos S, Noriega-Landa E, Holbrook KL, Quaye GE, Su X, Gao Q, Chacon AA, Adams E, Polascik TJ, Feldman AS, Annabi MM, Lee WY. Urinary volatile organic compounds in prostate cancer biopsy pathologic risk stratification using logistic regression and multivariate analysis models. Am J Cancer Res. 2024; 14(1):192-209. PMID: 38323272.
      Citations:    
    4. Holbrook KL, Badmos S, Habib A, Landa EN, Quaye GE, Pokojovy M, Su X, Lee WY. Investigating the effects of storage conditions on urinary volatilomes for their reliability in disease diagnosis. Am J Clin Exp Urol. 2023; 11(6):481-499. PMID: 38148934.
      Citations:    
    5. Habib A, Landa EN, Holbrook KL, Walker WS, Lee WY. Rapid, efficient, and green analytical technique for determination of fluorotelomer alcohol in water by stir bar sorptive extraction. Chemosphere. 2023 Oct; 338:139439. PMID: 37429381.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:HumansPHPublic Health
    6. Esquivel SV, Bhatt HN, Diwan R, Habib A, Lee WY, Khatun Z, Nurunnabi M. ?-Glucan and Fatty Acid Based Mucoadhesive Carrier for Gastrointestinal Tract Specific Local and Sustained Drug Delivery. Biomolecules. 2023 04 28; 13(5). PMID: 37238639.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    7. Ye Y, Landa EN, Cantu JM, Hernandez-Viezcas JA, Nair AN, Lee WY, Sreenivasan ST, Gardea-Torresdey JL. A double-edged effect of manganese-doped graphene quantum dots on salt-stressed Capsicum annuum L. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Oct 20; 844:157160. PMID: 35798116.
      Citations: 1     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    8. Huang H, Grajeda B, Ellis CC, Estevao IL, Lee WY. A comparative proteomics study of Arabidopsis thaliana responding to the coexistence of BPA and TiO2-NPs at environmentally relevant concentrations. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Aug; 241:113800. PMID: 35751931.
      Citations: 1     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    9. Sengupta D, Sandoval-Pauker C, Schueller E, Encerrado-Manriquez AM, Metta-Maga?a A, Lee WY, Seshadri R, Pinter B, Fortier S. Isolation of a Bimetallic Cobalt(III) Nitride and Examination of Its Hydrogen Atom Abstraction Chemistry and Reactivity toward H2. J Am Chem Soc. 2020 May 06; 142(18):8233-8242. PMID: 32279486.
      Citations: 5     Fields:    
    10. G?mez-Torres A, Aguilar-Calder?n JR, Encerrado-Manriquez AM, Pink M, Metta-Maga?a AJ, Lee WY, Fortier S. Titanium-Mediated Catalytic Hydrogenation of Monocyclic and Polycyclic Arenes. Chemistry. 2020 Mar 02; 26(13):2803-2807. PMID: 31846166.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    
    11. Gao Q, Lee WY. Urinary metabolites for urological cancer detection: a review on the application of volatile organic compounds for cancers. Am J Clin Exp Urol. 2019; 7(4):232-248. PMID: 31511830.
      Citations:    
    12. Fuentes MD, Gutierrez S, Sahagun D, Gomez J, Mendoza J, Ellis CC, Bauer S, Blattner J, Lee WY, Alvarez M, Dom?nguez DC. Assessment of Antibiotic Levels, Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria and Genetic Biomarkers in the Waters of the Rio Grande River Between the United States-Mexico Border. J Health Pollut. 2019 Sep; 9(23):190912. PMID: 31497375.
      Citations:    
    13. Gao Q, Su X, Annabi MH, Schreiter BR, Prince T, Ackerman A, Morgas S, Mata V, Williams H, Lee WY. Application of Urinary Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2019 06; 17(3):183-190. PMID: 30853355.
      Citations: 23     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    14. Sarma H, Lee WY. Bacteria enhanced lignocellulosic activated carbon for biofiltration of bisphenols in water. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Jun; 25(18):17227-17239. PMID: 29808400.
      Citations: 4     Fields:    Translation:Cells
    15. Tan W, Gao Q, Deng C, Wang Y, Lee WY, Hernandez-Viezcas JA, Peralta-Videa JR, Gardea-Torresdey JL. Foliar Exposure of Cu(OH)2 Nanopesticide to Basil ( Ocimum basilicum): Variety-Dependent Copper Translocation and Biochemical Responses. J Agric Food Chem. 2018 Apr 04; 66(13):3358-3366. PMID: 29558120.
      Citations: 5     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    16. Rocha-Guti?rrez BA, Lee WY, Shane Walker W. Mass balance and mass loading of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in a tertiary wastewater treatment plant using SBSE-TD-GC/MS. Water Sci Technol. 2016; 73(2):302-8. PMID: 26819385.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:PHPublic Health
    17. Toro-V?lez AF, Madera-Parra CA, Pe?a-Var?n MR, Lee WY, Bezares-Cruz JC, Walker WS, C?rdenas-Henao H, Quesada-Calder?n S, Garc?a-Hern?ndez H, Lens PN. BPA and NP removal from municipal wastewater by tropical horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands. Sci Total Environ. 2016 Jan 15; 542(Pt A):93-101. PMID: 26519570.
      Citations: 8     Fields:    Translation:PHPublic Health
    18. Rico CM, Morales MI, McCreary R, Castillo-Michel H, Barrios AC, Hong J, Tafoya A, Lee WY, Varela-Ramirez A, Peralta-Videa JR, Gardea-Torresdey JL. Cerium oxide nanoparticles modify the antioxidative stress enzyme activities and macromolecule composition in rice seedlings. Environ Sci Technol. 2013 Dec 17; 47(24):14110-8. PMID: 24266714.
      Citations: 29     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    19. Rico CM, Morales MI, Barrios AC, McCreary R, Hong J, Lee WY, Nunez J, Peralta-Videa JR, Gardea-Torresdey JL. Effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles on the quality of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) grains. J Agric Food Chem. 2013 Nov 27; 61(47):11278-85. PMID: 24188281.
      Citations: 27     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsPHPublic Health
    20. Yamaguchi C, Lee WY. A cost effective, sensitive, and environmentally friendly sample preparation method for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in solid samples. J Chromatogr A. 2010 Oct 29; 1217(44):6816-23. PMID: 20851399.
      Citations: 2     Fields:    
    21. Balsiger HA, de la Torre R, Lee WY, Cox MB. A four-hour yeast bioassay for the direct measure of estrogenic activity in wastewater without sample extraction, concentration, or sterilization. Sci Total Environ. 2010 Feb 15; 408(6):1422-9. PMID: 20074779.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsPHPublic Health
    22. Lauer FT, Mitchell LA, Bedrick E, McDonald JD, Lee WY, Li WW, Olvera H, Amaya MA, Berwick M, Gonzales M, Currey R, Pingitore NE, Burchiel SW. Temporal-spatial analysis of U.S.-Mexico border environmental fine and coarse PM air sample extract activity in human bronchial epithelial cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2009 Jul 01; 238(1):1-10. PMID: 19410595.
      Citations: 16     Fields:    Translation:HumansCellsPHPublic Health
    23. De La Torre-Roche RJ, Lee WY, Campos-D?az SI. Soil-borne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in El Paso, Texas: analysis of a potential problem in the United States/Mexico border region. J Hazard Mater. 2009 Apr 30; 163(2-3):946-58. PMID: 18768257.
      Citations: 31     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    24. Mattina MI, Eitzer BD, Iannucci-Berger W, Lee WY, White JC. Plant uptake and translocation of highly weathered, soil-bound technical chlordane residues: data from field and rhizotron studies. Environ Toxicol Chem. 2004 Nov; 23(11):2756-62. PMID: 15559292.
      Citations: 10     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    25. Lee WY, Iannucci-Berger WA, Eitzer BD, White JC, Mattina MI. Plant uptake and translocation of air-borne chlordane and comparison with the soil-to-plant route. Chemosphere. 2003 Oct; 53(2):111-21. PMID: 12892673.
      Citations:    Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCellsPHPublic Health
    26. Lee WY, Lannucci-Berger W, Eitzer BD, White JC, Mattina MI. Persistent organic pollutants in the environment: chlordane residues in compost. J Environ Qual. 2003 Jan-Feb; 32(1):224-31. PMID: 12549562.
      Citations: 1     Fields:    Translation:PHPublic Health
    27. White JC, Mattina MI, Lee WY, Eitzer BD, Iannucci-Berger W. Role of organic acids in enhancing the desorption and uptake of weathered p,p'-DDE by Cucurbita pepo. Environ Pollut. 2003; 124(1):71-80. PMID: 12683984.
      Citations: 13     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsPHPublic Health
    28. Lee WY, Salvador JM, Bodige K. Synthesis of trans-2-(1-aryl-1-methylethyl)cyclohexylamines. Org Lett. 2000 Apr 06; 2(7):931-2. PMID: 10841637.
      Citations:    Fields:    
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