R01 comes to the FAMU CoPPS, IPH with research endeavors of Eun-sook Yu Lee, Ph.D., Eminent Scholar and Distinguished Professor
Pictured in Dr. Lee’s lab L-R: Itunu Ajayi, Ph.D. learner, Dr. Eunsook Lee, Principal Investigator, Alexis Digman, Ph.D. learner, and Dr. Edward Pajarillo, Assistant Professor in Research.
Lab photo credit: Dr. James L. Moran, Jr.
Tallahassee, FL – Dr. Eun-sook Yu Lee, Eminent Scholar and
Distinguished Professor in the Florida A&M University (FAMU)
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public
Health (CoPPS, IPH) https://pharmacy.famu.edu/ has recently received
her third R01 grant in the amount of $3,386,262 commencing
concurrently from June 6, 2025 through March 31, 2030 from the
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) National Institutes
of Health (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS), with the expected annual performance reports of progress.
This five-year grant’s long-term goal of Dr. Lee’s lab research is to
understand mechanisms of manganese (Mn)-induced neurotoxicity
associated with microglial LRRK2 gene in the brain and its contributing
role in Parkinson’s disease.
Back home academically, and standing out in teaching, research, and service, atop the highest of seven hills, Principal Investigator, Dr. Lee, who earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the FAMU CoPPS, IPH in 1999, is no novice to prolific R01 grantsmanship.
Dr. Lee was awarded an SC1 grant in 2010, an R01 grant in both 2015 and 2020 and now this monumental 2025 achievement titled: “Mechanism of Manganese (Mn)-induced neurotoxicity via microglial Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2).”
Dr. Lee returned as faculty to FAMU in 2016 bringing along an R01 grant from Meharry Medical College where she served for 11 years with three years at Vanderbilt University as a visiting faculty researcher to expand her research scope and collaborations. In addition, she has served as a standing member for six years (2017-2023) at the NIH Neurotoxicology and Alcohol [NAL] Study Section for reviewing numerous R01 grants, which further helped her to develop grantsmanship and strong network with great scientists in the field.
Not new to this but rather true to this, Dr. Lee is candid and passionate about neuroscience research and its implications for the betterment of humanity. From a 1994 Ph.D. learner to earning her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the FAMU CoPPS, IPH in 1999, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Neuropharmacology and Toxicology—also at FAMU CoPPS, IPH, Dr. Lee is a recognized leader, trailblazer even, in her academic journey. This has helped lay the foundation for her groundbreaking research in neurotoxicology and neurodegenerative diseases.
Distinguished Professor, Fulbright Scholar, Eminent Chair, Biomedical Sciences and the FAMU CoPPS, IPH Interim Dean, Seth Y. Ablordeppey, Ph.D. proclaimed of this most noteworthy accomplishment: “Dr. Eunsook Lee’s most recent R01 award is a landmark achievement for the College and for the University, and is a tangible testament to her unwavering commitment to advancing neuroscience and public health. Her work exemplifies the scientific rigor, innovation, and mentorship that define our mission at the FAMU CoPPS, IPH. As we continue to pursue research excellence, this R01 grant reinforces our institution’s leadership in addressing neurological health disparities through groundbreaking discoveries.”
Kudos to Dr. Lee and her research team continue: "I extend my warmest congratulations to Dr. Lee on being awarded an R01 grant from the NIH— an extraordinarily prestigious and competitive honor. This is the only, other active R01 grant (in addition to her first R01 grant), currently held at FAMU, marking a most significant achievement that brings distinction to both the College and to the University. This award is a testament to Dr. Lee’s ongoing outstanding research accomplishments and a clear recognition of her pioneering work on manganese neurotoxicity," emphasized Karam F.A. Soliman, Ph.D., FASPET, Associate Dean for FAMU CoPPS, IPH Research & Graduate Studies and Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
It’s a full-circle and gratifying celebration for FAMU and for the CoPPS, IPH in that Dr. Lee’s trajectory from FAMU as a doctoral learner to her work at Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College, and back to the FAMU CoPPS, IPH is exemplary of a servant-leader and indicative of her willingness to pay it forward. Now humbled and privileged to mentor the next generation of scientists at the very institution where her own research career began Lee Laboratory, Dr. Lee acknowledges and extends appreciation to her ever-evolving research team and stated: “I am honored to receive this R01 award from the NIH-NIEHS and truly grateful to FAMU and to the CoPPS, IPH for supporting my research at FAMU. I have done a lot of work in this realm, and I am grateful that I now have more resources to more thoroughly explore this particular research interest of mine.”
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| Itunu Ajayi, Ph.D. learner | Alexis Digman, Ph.D. learner | Dr. Edward Pajarillo, Assistant Professor in Research |
Dr. Lee humbly expressed her gratitude, “Furthermore, I am grateful that this funding will allow me to adequately support and sustain my postdoctoral research fellows so they can operate at their fullest potential in these difficult times.” There’s so much potential for the shared work yet to be done and Dr. Lee is fully aware, “I’d also like to acknowledge the tremendous support of Dr. Carl Goodman, a former director of my division (and FAMU Ph.D. Pharmacology alumnus), on transitioning to FAMU and providing a great research environment, and Dr. Karam Soliman, Associate Dean for Research for his endless support of my research activity at FAMU.
Shown here are a few pieces of the scientific instruments Dr. Lee and her research team use in her lab engaged in neuroscience research and discoveries.
Lab photos credit: Dr. James L. Moran, Jr.
I thank my lab members, particularly Dr. Edward Pajarillo, a research assistant professor, for the consistent hard work, contributing to this grant by providing critical preliminary data, and dedication to sciences.”