Eric Lee, PhD

7000 Chad Colley Boulevard
Fort Smith, AR  72916
ARCOM 267
479-308-2362
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After earning my Bachelors of Science in Biology and Masters of Science in Kinesiology from Washington State University, I spent five years in secondary education teaching biology, chemistry, and physiology courses in Yakima, WA and Las Vegas, NV at schools with curriculums emphasizing both discovery-based and team-based learning. By the end of the fifth year, my struggles with content level persuaded me to return to graduate school where I ultimately earned my Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2012. From 2013 -2017, I was an assistant professor at Rogers State University in Claremore, OK where I taught a broad array of courses including Physiology, Plant and Animal Toxicology, Pathology, and Research Methods courses.

My research experiences both past and present are focused on chronic inflammation. My past research experiences were centered around the role of chronic inflammation in immunotoxicology related studies including gender differences in alcoholic liver disease and JP-8 jet fuel induced dermatitis. My current research interests have shifted to diabetes with two distinct areas: 1. the etiology of type II diabetes and 2. diabetes complications related to non-healing diabetic ulcers. The etiology based research is focused on the role of macrophages and adipocytes in the development of insulin insensitivity in type II diabetes. The diabetes complications research has focused on the relationship between IL-6, receptors for advanced glycation end-products, and non-healing diabetic ulcers.