Tong-Young Lee, PhD

From Harvard's angiogenesis lab to the future of cell therapy

Dr. Tong-Young Lee earned his PhD in pathology from National Taiwan University, Taiwan's most prestigious academic institution. He applied to over 100 post-doctoral programs in the United States and was selected to join the legendary laboratory of Dr. Judah Folkman at Harvard Medical School—widely recognized as the father of angiogenesis research.

During his six years at Harvard (2004–2010), Dr. Lee contributed to the research and development of cancer treatments that would become the first three FDA-approved angiogenesis inhibitors: bevacizumab (Avastin), ranibizumab (Lucentis), and aflibercept (Eylea). Combined, these drugs generate over $15 billion in annual sales worldwide. He is also credited as the inventor of Fc-endostatin, a next-generation long-acting angiogenesis inhibitor.

In 2010, Dr. Lee returned to Taiwan and joined the Chintek Group, where he contributed to the development of several antibody-based drugs, including the monoclonal antibody FB825, which was subsequently licensed to LEO Pharma of Denmark in a deal valued at up to $530 million. Over the next decade, he founded and led multiple biotech startups across immunotherapy, antibody discovery, and cellular therapy, guiding companies through spin-offs, IPOs, and international partnerships.

Appointed CEO of StemCyte in 2021, Dr. Lee is now steering the company's evolution from a world-class cord blood bank into a regenerative medicine company with an active investigational pipeline in Long COVID, stroke, and cerebral palsy.