Dr. Janice S. Lee, D.D.S., M.D., M.S. serves as the Clinical Director of the Craniofacial Anomalies & Regeneration Section at NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). A surgeon–scientist by training, she earned her DDS and MS from UCLA and her MD from Harvard Medical School, followed by residency at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University and a research fellowship at NIDCR’s Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch. Her lab applies cellular, molecular, and 3D computational methods to understand and treat congenital craniofacial anomalies—like Loeys-Dietz syndrome, facial asymmetries, and mandibular disorders—using both bedside observations and translational research.

Dr. Lee’s interdisciplinary efforts extend beyond the lab: she collaborates with a dedicated clinical craniofacial team while advancing leadership at NIDCR, where she was named Deputy Director for Intramural Clinical Research in 2020. Her work also investigates the body’s natural ability to regenerate bone—bypassing grafts or donors—by leveraging immune-mediated mechanisms, with the goal of transforming how facial reconstruction is approached.