Won Lee, M.D.

Won Lee, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, a member of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Medical Director of UT Southwestern's Clinical Center for Sleep and Breathing Disorders. He specializes in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

My goal is to optimize breathing function during sleep so that my patients feel more refreshed and alert throughout the day.

Originally from Vietnam, Dr. Lee holds a bachelor's degree in health sciences from the University of Nevada, where he graduated summa cum laude and where he also earned his medical degree. He completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Nevada and obtained advanced training through a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, followed by a fellowship in sleep medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Dr. Lee joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2008 and was mentored in neuromuscular pulmonary disorders by Joseph Viroslav, M.D. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, and sleep medicine.

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Lee is the Associate Program Director for the Sleep fellowship, and Course Director for the preclerkship respiratory course. He also serves on the Southwest Academy of Teachers (SWAT) Committee.

Dr. Lee's research interests include simulation training for internal medicine and pulmonary trainees, CPAP adherence in Down syndrome patients with OSA, and respiratory therapies for neuromuscular pulmonary disorders. His investigations have led to several publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, case reports, and abstracts. He has also presented his findings at regional and national conferences.

Dr. Lee is a member of the American Thoracic Society and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and an elected fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, for which he serves as a member of the Home-Based Mechanical Ventilation and Neuromuscular Disease Steering Committee.

Texas Monthly named Dr. Lee a Rising Star, and D Magazine awarded him its Best Doctor recognition in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Medical School

University of Nevada School of Medicine (2001)

Residency

University of Nevada Affiliated Hospitals (2004), Internal Medicine

Fellowship

Rush University Medical Center (2007), Pulmonary Diseases & Critical Care Medicine

Fellowship

University of Chicago Medicine (2008), Sleep Medicine

• Medical Education - Simulation Training
• Neuromuscular Pulmonary Disorders (ex: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscular dystrophy, and diaphragm disorders)
• Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Featured Publications

Resident versus faculty member simulation debriefing.

Adams T, Newton C, Patel H, Sulistio M, Tomlinson A, Lee W Clin Teach 2017 Nov

Short-term modulation of the ventilatory response to exercise is preserved in obstructive sleep apnea.

Bernhardt V, Mitchell GS, Lee WY, Babb TG Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2016 Nov 236 42-50

A novel expression of exercise induced pulmonary hypertension in human immunodeficiency virus patients: a pilot study.

Doukky R, Lee WY, Ravilla M, Lateef OB, Pelaez V, French A, Tandon R Open Cardiovasc Med J 2012 6 44-9

Perioperative management of obstructive sleep apnea.

Adesanya AO, Lee W, Greilich NB, Joshi GP Chest 2010 Dec 138 6 1489-98

Diagnosis and management of obesity hypoventilation syndrome in the ICU.

Lee WY, Mokhlesi B Crit Care Clin 2008 Jul 24 3 533-49, vii

Epidemiology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: a Population-based Perspective.

Lee W, Nagubadi S, Kryger MH, Mokhlesi B, Expert Rev Respir Med 2008 Jun 2 3 349-364

Diffuse pulmonary nodules in a 25-year-old man with diarrhea and weight loss.

Lee WY, Balk RA Chest 2008 May 133 5 1252-5

Chloroplast division in higher plants requires members of two functionally divergent gene families with homology to bacterial ftsZ.

Osteryoung KW, Stokes KD, Rutherford SM, Percival AL, Lee WY, Plant Cell 1998 Dec 10 12 1991-2004

 Featured Books

Pulmonary complications of endocrine diseases. In Murray and Nadel?s Textbook of Respiratory Medicine

Hsia, C and Lee, W. (In Press). Elsevier

• Commencement Marshall
  UT Southwestern School of Medicine – Voted by the graduating medical school class of 2019 (2019)
• Outstanding Teaching Award, Basic Sciences/Biomedical Sciences Educator
  Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT) (2019)
• Regents Outstanding Teaching Award (ROTA)
  Highest teaching excellence award in the University of Texas System – awarded by The Texas Board of Regents (2019)
• Best Teacher, High Exposure Instruction Category
  UT Southwestern School of Medicine - Preclerkship Medical Students (2018)
• Nominee – Outstanding Teaching Award, Basic Sciences/Biomedical Sciences Educator
  Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT) (2018)
• Favorite Course, Integrated Medicine - Pulmonary
  UT Southwestern School of Medicine (2016-2018)
• Nominee – Outstanding Teaching Award, Basic Sciences/Biomedical Sciences Educator
  Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT) (2016)
• Outstanding Teaching Faculty of the Year
  Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center (2013)
• Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award
  University of Texas Southwestern - Department of Internal Medicine Residency Program (2011)
• Outstanding Teaching Fellow Award
  Rush University Medical Center - Chicago (2007)
• Alpha Omega Alpha
  University of Nevada School of Medicine (2004)
• Outstanding Resident Award
  University of Nevada Affiliated Hospitals (2004)

• American Academy of Sleep Medicine
• American College of Chest Physicians
• American Thoracic Society