LEE Hian Kee
Emeritus Professor
Special Volunteer, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA, 1991/1992; Ph.D., University of Canterbury, 1982; B.Sc., University of Canterbury, 1978.
Contact Information:
Email: chmleehk@nus.edu.sg
Research
Recognition and Achievements
- NUS Provost’s Term Chair Professor 2011-2014
- Editor, Journal of Chromatography A, 2010 – 2025
- Member, Editorial Boards, Chemical Data Collections, 2015 – current; Talanta, 2017 – current; International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 2017 – current
- Editor, Analytica Chimica Acta, 2005 – 2011; Editorial Advisor, Analytica Chimica Acta, 2003 – 2005
- Member, Advisory Board, Analytical Sciences, 2004 – current
- Member, Editorial Advisory Boards, LC·GC Asia Pacific, 2006 – current; LC·GC Europe, 2008 – current
- Member, International Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society, 2011 – current
- Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Advanced Research, 2010 – current
- Member, International Advisory Board, Analyst, 1997 – 2008
- NUS Outstanding Researcher Award, 2006
- NUS Faculty of Science Outstanding Scientist Award, 2009
- Federation of Asian Chemical Societies Foundation Award, 2009
- Hyflux-Singapore National Institute of Chemistry Award in Environmental Chemistry, 2013
- The Analytical Scientist Power List: “100 Most Influential People in the Analytical Sciences,” 2013, 2015
- Visiting Professor, 2019-2020, Kyushu University, Japan; Visiting Professor 2018-2020, University Terengganu Malaysia
- Elected Fellow: Royal Society of Chemistry, Singapore National Academy of Science, Academy of Sciences Malaysia
Research Interests
Our main research focus is on the development and application of miniaturized, solvent-minimized sample preparation procedures in combination with chromatography. A primary objective is to apply these methods particularly to the analysis of contaminants of emerging concern. Our present interest includes the development of seamless, integrated automated analytical platforms for water quality monitoring applications. Lately, we have been working on smartphone-based analytical platforms.
Research Highlight
Ref: Magnetic Three-Phase Single-Drop Microextraction for Rapid Amplification of the Signals of DNA and microRNA Analysis, Anal. Chem. 2020, 92, 12290-12296.
This paper describes the use of magnetic branched DNA/Fe3O4 networks in combination with single-drop microextraction for the quantification of nucleic acids. To show its capability, the approach was applied successfully to determine miRNA-122 and HBV-T in serum samples from hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
Representative Publications
- Zhang, X., Chen, H., Liu, P., Zhou, Y., Li, J., Lee, H.K., Miao, X. & Huang, Z. Impact of Lactational Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Exposure on Infant Gut Microbiota and Potential Mediating Effects on Infant Neurodevelopment. J. Hazard. Mater. 2026, 502, 140959
- Zhu, C., Jiang, C., Lee, H.K., Zhang, Y. & Tang, S. All Nanozyme-Based Cascade Reactions for Biomedical Applications: From Self-Cascading Nanozyme to Immobilized Cascade Nanozyme. Adv. Sci. 2026, 13, e19656
- Wu, J., Zeng, X., Wang, L., Zhang, J., Cui, S., Ma, Z., Pan, R., Liu, C., Kong, D., Song, J., Liu, L., Feng, C., Shen, W., Suo, X., Lin Z., Lee, H.K. & Tang, S. Embedding Carbon Nanotubes in Artificial Cells Enhances Probe Transfer. Adv. Mater. 2025, 37, 2418271
- Zhou, X., Song, J., Zhu, Q., Xu, M., Shen, W., Lee, H.K. & Tang, S. Target-Triggered DNA Hydrogel Gating with Nano-Confinement Effect in Micropipettes for Antibiotic Resistance Gene Detection. Anal. Chem. 2025, 97, 6118-6125
- Wu, F., Zhu, Q., Zhang, L., Shen, W., Gong, J., Lee, H.K. & Tang, S. Recent Progress of Biosensing Techniques for Environmental Antibiotic Resistance Genes. Trends Anal. Chem. 2025, 191, 118380
- Liu, C., Huang, J., Chen, J., Xue, Q., Yan, H., Kong, D., Ma, Z., Shen, W., Lee, H.K. & Tang, S. Microextraction-Driven Optical Fiber Sensor Coupled with Signal Enhancement by Gold Nanostars for Detection of Antibiotics in Food and Water. ACS Sens. 2025, 10, 2060-2072
- Liu, P., Deng, H., Chen, H., Li, J., Hong, L., Zou, H., Lee, H.K. & Huang, Z. Fabrication of dBSA@Hemin@Ag Nanozyme Based Biosensor and Application for the Assessment of Longitudinal Concentration Changes of Choline in Human Breast Milk. Food Chem. 2025, 495, 146427
- Hou, W., Mao, W., Sun, J., Liu, Z., Shen, W., Lee, H.K. & Tang, S. Targeting Hydrogel for Intelligent Recognition and Spatiotemporal Control in Cell-Based Therapeutics. Adv. Sci. 2024, 11, 2404172
- Zhang, X., Zhou, X., Chen, H., Gao, Xi., Zhou, Y., Lee, H.K. & Huang, Z. Changes in Concentrations of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Human Milk over Lactation Time and Effects of Maternal Exposure via Analysis of Matched Samples. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2024, 58, 4115-4126
- Aramesh, N., Bagheri, A.R., Zhang, Z., Yadollahi, B. & Lee, H.K. Polyoxometalate-Based Materials Against Environmental Pollutants: A Review. Coord. Chem. Rev. 2024, 507, 215767
