Faculty Bio

Overview

Faculty

Administration

Leland Jonathan Yee, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Department of Epidemiology
University of Pittsburgh
A511 Crabtree Hall
130 DeSoto Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Phone: 412.624.5326
Fax: 412.624.7397
E-mail: YeeL@edc.pitt.edu


Research Interests:

My primary research interest concerns understanding the natural history of infectious diseases. In particular, I am interested in the role of human genetic diversity in affecting the outcomes of viral hepatitis.

I am also interested in the prevention of communicable diseases such as viral hepatitis and HIV.

Current Academic Appointments:

• Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. (Primary appointment)



• Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. (Secondary appointment)

Education & Training:

• Washington & Lee University, B.S. Biology (Lexington, VA)



• University of Alabama at Birmingham, MPH Epidemiology (Birmingham, AL)



• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (London, United Kingdom), PhD Epidemiology



• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (London, United Kingdom), DLSHTM Infectious and Tropical Diseases

Professional Societies:

• American College of Epidemiology
• American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
• European Association for the Study of the Liver
• American Society for Human Genetics
• American Public Health Association
• Society for Epidemiologic Research

Committees:

• Equal Health Opportunities Committee of the American Public Health Association (2006-2009)

Editorial Board Member:

• Emerging Themes in Epidemiology

Selected Publications:

Yee LJ, Kelleher PK, Goldin R, Marshall S, Thomas HC, Hall AJ and Thursz MR. Autoimmunity in hepatitis C virus infection: correlates of anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity. J Viral Hepat 2004; 11:459-464.

Dorak MT, Yee LJ, Tang J, Shao W, Lobashevsky ES, Jacobson LP, Kaslow RA. HLA and Endothelin-1 Gene Polymorphisms in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma. J Med Virol 2005; 76: 302-310.

Yee LJ. Host genetic determinants in hepatitis C virus infection. Genes Immun 2004; 5: 237-245.

Yee LJ, Knapp S, Burgner D, Thomas HC, Hill AVS, and Thursz MR. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2A) haplotypes and the outcome of hepatitis C virus infection. Genes Immun 2004; 5: 183-187.

Yee LJ, Im K, Tang M, Kleiner DE, Wang D, Wahed A, Tong X, Fontana R, Liang TJ and Yang H for the Virahep-C Study. Myxovirus-1 (MxA) and protein kinase (PKR) gene haplotypes and the progression of fibrosis in hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology 2007; 46: 74-83.

Hennig BJW, Frodsham AJ, Hellier S, Knapp S, Yee LJ, Wright M, Zhang L, Thomas HC, Thursz, Hill AVS. Influence of IL10RA and IL22 polymorphisms on outcome of hepatitis C virus infection. Liver Int 2007; 27 (8): 1134-43.

Rhodes SL, Erlich H, Im K, Wang J, Li J, Bugawan T, Jeffers L, Tong X, Su X, Yee LJ, Liang TJ, Yang H for the Virahep-C Study. Association between HLA alleles A*02, B*58, DPB1*1701 and sustained virologic response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy in chronic HCV, genotype 1-infected, treatment naïve Caucasian and African Americans. (in press: Genes and Immunity).

Su X, Yee LJ, Im K, Rhodes SL, Tang YM, Tong X, Howell C, Haritos M, Liang TJ, Taylor MW, Yang H. Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in IFN signaling pathway genes and IFN induced genes with response on HCV IFN-a based therapy. (in press: Journal of Hepatology)


Non-peer Reviewed Publications:

Yee LJ and Thursz MR. Genetic diversity in the major histocompatability complex and the immune response to infectious diseases. In: Susceptibility to infectious diseases: the importance of host genetics. Richard Bellamy, Editor. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Yee LJ, Hall AJ, and Thursz MR. Comorbid conditions in chronic hepatitis C virus infection: the role of autoimmunity. Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease. Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease. 2004. Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology.

Yee LJ and Thursz MR. Host genetics and viral hepatitis B and C. In: Genetic Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases. Editors: R.A. Kaslow, A.V.S. Hill, and J. McNicholl. Oxford University Press, 2008.