By Jill Pease
The Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association and the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies have named University of Florida faculty member Ji-Hyun Lee, Dr.P.H., their 2026 Scientist of the Year. She will be recognized at the U.S.-Korea Conference in Orlando in August.
In the award citation, the organizations described Lee as a “distinguished biostatistician whose career has strengthened the role of statistics in biomedical science and expanded the visibility of Korean American scientists in international scientific leadership.”
Lee, a professor of biostatistics in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions and the UF College of Medicine and associate director for Cancer Quantitative Sciences at the UF Health Cancer Institute, is the immediate past president of the American Statistical Association.
“Dr. Lee’s leadership is nothing short of historic,” said colleague Yong-Kyu Yoon, Ph.D., the president-elect of the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association and a UF professor of electrical and computer engineering. “In 2025, she served as the 120th president of the American Statistical Association, making her the first Korean-American president in the organization’s history. Her leadership philosophy, often described through the metaphor of ‘The Conductor,’ emphasizes harmonizing diverse voices to achieve scientific excellence.”
Lee has authored more than 210 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals such as Nature, Cell and JAMA Oncology. She was co-lead author on a paper published last December in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that provides critical information about dietary safety in patients with cancer who have immunosuppression. Findings from the large phase 3 randomized trial — considered the gold standard for clinical trials — demonstrated that patients hospitalized for blood cancer treatment who followed a diet restricting fresh fruits and vegetables had a lower risk of developing serious infection.
She currently contributes statistical leadership to 17 projects totaling $61.7 million in research support from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the V Foundation for Cancer Research. She established the first statistical advisory panel at the journal Nature Medicine and was invited to serve on the inaugural Biostatistics in Cancer Research Task Force of the American Association for Cancer Research and as a biostatistics mentor in the American Society of Clinical Oncology International Clinical Research Scholars program. Recently, she initiated the American Statistical Association Clinical Trials Certificate Program to bridge the gap between statistical education and clinical research practice.
“Dr. Ji-Hyun Lee is a true pioneer whose work in biostatistics has not only advanced cancer research but has also opened doors for Korean-American scientists globally,” said nominator Jinho Park, Ph.D., senior scientist at Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing. “Whether she is leading a panel of 57 experts to improve research integrity for Nature Medicine or writing books to inspire young Korean women to enter STEM, her impact is profound. This rare balance of world-class science and community devotion is exactly why she deserves to be named Scientist of the Year.”