Research Interests
The Tee Laboratory investigates how nutrient-driven metabolic signaling programs regulate cellular stress responses and tissue remodeling in metabolic disease and cancer, with an emphasis on quantitative and non-invasive metabolic measurements.
Fructose Metabolism, Ketohexokinase, and Metabolic Stress Signaling
Our lab investigates how fructose metabolism shapes cellular function in health and disease, with a particular focus on ketohexokinase (KHK) as a metabolic and regulatory node. We study how fructose and glucose differentially regulate hepatic metabolism, ER proteostasis, growth factor signaling, and nutrient stress responses, and how these pathways are altered in metabolic disease, cancer and across the aging continuum.
Combining classical molecular biology with transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolic imaging approaches, we aim to redefine fructose metabolism beyond classical fructolysis and identify metabolic vulnerabilities that can be leveraged for diagnosis and therapy.
Metabolic Imaging and Quantitative Biomarkers in Cancer and Metabolic Disease
The lab develops and applies advanced metabolic imaging technologies, including hyperpolarized 13C MRI and MRS, to measure real-time metabolic flux in living cells, tissues, and animal models. Our work has established imaging biomarkers of tumor metabolism, therapy response, and metabolic reprogramming in cancer, while also extending these approaches to liver disease and metabolic dysfunction.
By combining imaging physics, biochemical pathway analysis, and quantitative modeling, we aim to translate metabolic measurements into actionable biological and clinical insight.
Cellular Differentiation, Stem Cell Metabolism, and Diet-Induced Remodeling
A major research direction in the lab centers on how dietary sugars and obesogenic environments influence cell fate, using brown and beige adipose tissue as models of evolving cellular trajectory. We integrate single-cell optical techniques, including Raman imaging, optical diffraction tomography, and hyperspectral sensing, with cell and animal models to quantify how fructose and glucose modulate adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, cytokine signaling, and tissue remodeling.
These studies extend to understanding diet-driven alterations in brain and systemic metabolism, linking nutrition to organ-level structural and functional outcomes.
Research Funding
NIH NCI R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grant
Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) #2025-R2-MSCRFL-00029
US National Academy of Medicine Catalyst Award Competition
University of Maryland Older Americans Independence Center Scholar
University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center Payline Program Award