Joung Lee, MD

216.636.0007

Joung Lee, MD
Department: Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code S73
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195
WorkAppointment:216.636.0007
DeskDesk:216.636.5860
WorkFax:216.444.9170
Joung Lee, MD
Department: Neurological Surgery
Section Head
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code S73
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195
WorkAppointment:216.636.0007
DeskDesk:216.636.5860
WorkFax:216.444.9170
Joung Lee, MD
Department: Taussig Cancer Institute
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code S73
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195
WorkAppointment:216.636.5860
DeskDesk:216.636.5860
WorkFax:216.444.9170
Surgeon:
Yes
Treats:
Adults Only

Biographical Sketch

Joung H. Lee, MD is Professor and Head, Section of Skull Base Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery/Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center at Cleveland Clinic. He has established one of the largest meningioma programs in the world, evaluating more than 200 new meningioma patients annually and having accumulated one of the largest experiences in meningioma surgery, having surpassed over 1000 cases.  

He has authored more than 100 publications and edited two books, including a comprehensive textbook on meningiomas (Springer-Verlag, 2008, 616 pages). Over the years, in addition to training Cleveland Clinic neurosurgery residents, he has trained over 20 research and clinical fellows in skull base surgery.

Dr. Lee was a recipient of Research Fellowship Award from the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation.  His other honors include Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Crutchfiled-Thomson-Gage Award, Razavi Clinical Scholarship Award and Mahaley Award (AANS Annual Meeting, 2002).   

His clinical research in meningiomas has also been recognized with Synthes Awards (AANS Annual Meetings, 2007 & 2009, awarded to his fellows, Dr. B. Sade in 2007 and Dr. Jaesung Park in 2009), Integra Foundation Award (AANS Annual Meeting 2006, awarded to his fellow, Dr. B. Sade) and Integra Foundation Award (AANS Annual Meeting 2008). He is annually cited as one of the “Best Doctors in America.” He is also the former President (1999-2000) of the Ohio State Neurosurgical Society.

Dr. Lee received his medical degree from University of Southern California, and completed his neurosurgery residency at University of Virginia. 

Professional Highlights

  • Professor of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
  • Mahaley Award, American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting for outstanding clinical research in brain tumors, 2002 
  • Integra Foundation Award, AANS Annual Meeting for outstanding research in benign brain tumors, 2008 
  • Publication of a comprehensive textbook on "Meningiomas" (JH Lee, Editor) by Springer-Verlag (64 chapters; 616 pages) in June, 2008
  • Establishment of one of the largest programs in the world on management of patients with meningiomas (more than 200 new patients evaluated) at Cleveland Clinic

Education & Fellowships

Residency - University of Virginia Health Sciences Center
Neurological Surgery
VA USA
1993
Internship - University of Virginia Health Sciences Center
Surgical Internship
VA USA
1987
Medical School - University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
Los Angeles, CA USA
1986
Undergraduate - Brandeis University
Waltham, MA USA
1981

Certifications

  • Neurological Surgery

Specialty Interests

benign brain tumors (meningiomas, schwannomas), chiari malformation, Skull Base Surgery, trigeminal neuralgia, brain tumors, Meningiomas, Neurofibromatosis, Trigeminal Neuralgia, tumors of the brain and spine

Awards & Honors

  • Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, March 1981
  • Southern California Korean-American Association Scholarship Award, December 1982
  • Research Fellowship Award, Research Foundation of the AANS, April 1989
    (Research support for 2 years)
  • Crutchfield-Thompson-Gage Award for the Best Resident Paper, Annual Meeting, Neurosurgical Society of the Virginias, January 1993
  • Honored Guest, Annual Spring Meeting, Korean Neurosurgical Society, April 1998
  • Teacher of the Year, Department of Neurosurgery, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, June 1998
  • Research Fellowship Award, American Brain Tumor Association, July 1999
    (J.H. Lee, M.D., Preceptor; Awarded to James Evans, M.D., Resident)
  • Razavi International Clinical Scholarship Award, Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Competitive award, Preceptorship for an international clinical fellow for 2 years), 2000-2002
  • Honored Guest, Annual Meeting, Korean Brain Tumor Society, June 2001
  • Mahaley Award, AANS Annual Meeting, April 2002
  • Service Award, Korean American Medical Association of Northeast Ohio, March 2003
  • International Advanced Clinical Scholarship Award, Cleveland Clinic (Competitive award, Preceptorship for an international clinical fellow for 1 year), 2003
  • Staff Collegiality Award, Department of Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic, March 2004 
  • Honored Guest, Annual Update Course, Korean Skull Base Society, May 2004     
  • America’s Top Physicians, 2004
  • Best Doctors in America, 2005
  • Honored Guest, Annual Update Course, Korean Skull Base Society, May 2005
  • America’s Top Surgeons, 2006
  • Integra Foundation Award (Awarded to Burak Sade, Fellow; J.H. Lee, Senior Author and Fellowship Preceptor), AANS Annual Meeting, April 2006
  • Honored Guest, Neurosurgical Society of Rio de Janiero, June 2006
  • Synthes Award (Awarded to Burak Sade, Fellow; J.H. Lee, Senior Author and Fellowship Preceptor), AANS Annual Meeting, April 2007
  • Honored Guest, Annual Spring Meeting, Korean Neurosurgical Society, April 2008
  • Integra Foundation Award, AANS Annual Meeting, April 2008
  • Honored Guest, 36th Anniversary International Sympsium, Department of Neurosurgery, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea, March 2008
  • Synthes Award (Awarded to Jasung Park, Fellow; J.H. Lee, Senior Author and Fellowship Preceptor), AANS Annual Meeting, May 2009
  • Honored Guest, 20th Anniversary Symposium of Department of Neurosurgery, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, September 2009
  • Honored Guest, International Neurosurgery Symposium, Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, Korea, March 2010
  • Honored Guest, Mexican Neurosurgical Society Neurosurgery Update, Santiago de Queretary, Mexico, June 2010
  • Honored Guest, Annual Meeting, Asian Society of Neuro-Oncology, Seoul, Korea, June 2010
  • Honored Guest, Annual Meeting, Japan Neurosurgical Society, Fukuoka, Japan, October 2010
  • Honored Guest, Tiantan Hospital/Capital Medical University Skull Base Surgery Symposium, Beijing, China, August 2011
  • Honored Guest, Beijing International Skull Base Surgery Congress, Beijing, China, August 2011
  • Visiting Professorship, 20 institutions in the United States and abroad
  • Current research funding from the Integra Life Science Foundation, 2008-present

Innovations & Patents

  • Pioneered the operative technique to improve vision in patients with meningiomas adjacent to the optic nerve
  • Pioneered the minimally invasive operative technique to access the cerebello-pontine angle, shortening the overall operative time, minimizing operative morbidity
  • Pioneered the algorithm for patient selection for meningioma surgery

Memberships

  • American Association of Neurological Surgeons
  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons
  • Past President, Ohio State Neurosurgical Society, 1999-2001
  • Past Vice-President, Korean American Medical Association of Northeast Ohio, 2002

Treatment & Services

  • Brain Tumor Management
  • Brain Tumor Surgery
  • Chiari Malformation Surgery
  • Craniotomy for Brain Tumor
  • Glycerol Injection for Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • Microvascular Decompression
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Neurological Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Skull Base Surgery

Specialty in Diseases and Conditions

Industry Relationships

Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.

To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.

As of 8/14/2012, Dr. Lee has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by the Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.

Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers’ discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.

* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.

Languages Spoken

  • English
  • Korean