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Helen Lee (researcher)

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Helen Lee
Photograph of Helen Lee
Alma materCornell University
Scientific career
FieldsDiagnostic medicine

Helen Lee is a Chinese-born, British–French medical researcher who won the European Inventor Award 2016 in the Popular Prize category for inventing diagnostic kits for resource-poor regions of the globe. She is the CEO of Diagnostics for the Real World. She has been based at the University of Cambridge since 1996.[1]

Career

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Helen Lee received her PhD from Cornell University. She started her career in diagnostics in Paris at the French National Blood Transfusion Centre.

She has been associate professor as the head of the Diagnostics Development Unit at the University of Cambridge, where she developed simple robust HIV tests for developing countries. The diagnostic kit, named "SAMBA" (simple amplification-based assay) was tested in sub-saharan Africa with Médecins Sans Frontières.[2] The product was later spun out from the Diagnostics Development Unit for commercialisation. She is a founder and CEO of Diagnostics for the Real World.,[2][3] a company active in HIV diagnostic devices used particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.[4]

In 2016, she was winner of the European Inventor Award in the Popular Prize category and received more than 36300 votes[5] According to Benoît Battistelli, the president of the European Patent Office, "The overwhelming public vote for Helen Lee recognises her major contribution to the early detection and treatment of infectious diseases in areas most in need."[6]

In 2019, she was appointed as a judge for the European Inventor Award.[7] In May 2020, Lee was recognised on The Times' Science Power List because her invention, the diagnostic kit SAMBA II, is being repurposed for use in COVID-19 testing.[8]

Prizes and awards

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  • 2005 Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran Award[9]
  • 2006 European Women of Achievement Award for her part in improving health care in developing countries[10]
  • 2007 Asian Women of Achievement Award[11]
  • 2016 European Inventor Award[6]

Personal life

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She is married to Jean Pierre Allain who was convicted by French authorities for his part in the haemophilia scandal.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ "Helen Lee (United Kingdom, France)". European Patent Office. 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b McKie, Robin (28 May 2016). "Two-hour test kit hailed as boon to HIV care in Africa". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712.
  3. ^ Routledge, Isobel (6 October 2014). "Researcher Spotlight : Dr Helen Lee". Wellcome Trust Blog. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Cambridge researcher wins prize for a device helping to fight HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa". Varsity Online. 16 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Getting Help to Those Most in Need: Helen Lee Wins European Inventor Award for Rapid HIV Test for Developing Countries". PR Newswire. 9 June 2016.
  6. ^ a b "UK scientist Helen Lee receives European Inventor Award - Newsfox". www.newsfox.com.
  7. ^ "European Inventor Award: jury members". European Patent Office. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  8. ^ Franklin-Wallis, Oliver (23 May 2020). "From pandemics to cancer: the science power list". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  9. ^ Committee, Great Britain Parliament House of Lords Science and Technology (2005). Pandemic Influenza: Report with Evidence. The Stationery Office. ISBN 9780104007723.
  10. ^ "Academic named European Woman of Achievement". University of Cambridge. 19 September 2006.
  11. ^ "Dr Helen Lee on Visible Chinese". www.visiblechinese.com. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  12. ^ "Patronage under fire". 17 July 1998.
  13. ^ "'I am a scapegoat, I am innocent': Steve Connor talks to the Cambridge". Independent.co.uk. 6 October 2015. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
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