Dr. Lee is a board-certified otolaryngologist and fellowship-trained rhinologist and skull base surgeon. She completed her fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and her otolaryngology residency at the University of Washington. She earned her medical degree from Northwestern University. She was born and raised in Wisconsin and was excited to return to the Midwest after the completion of her medical training. As a specialist in sinonasal disease, her areas of expertise include nasal obstruction, allergy, sinusitis, nasal polyps, and sinonasal tumors. She is experienced with the latest technological advances in the field and specializes in minimally invasive endoscopic approaches to treat sinonasal as well as skull base and orbital pathology, including pituitary and other tumors, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, blocked tear ducts, and thyroid eye disease. Dr. Lee strives to achieve a patient-centered and multidisciplinary approach to her medical and surgical care. She will work tirelessly to get to the bottom of any problem her patients may have, no matter how complicated.

Dr. Lee is the current President of the Chicago Laryngological & Otological Society. She also serves as an Associate Editor for the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology and on the Editorial Board for Rhinology. She has served as faculty in rhinology instructional courses nationally and is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Rhinology & Allergy Education Committee as well as the American Rhinologic Society Live and Ancillary Education Courses Committee.

Dr. Lee is actively involved in rhinologic clinical outcomes research. A key research focus is exploring the effects of social and environmental factors and biological sex on sinonasal disease. She has published extensively on her research findings. Dr. Lee has received both peer-reviewed and industry funding for her research, including a Triological Society Career Development Award. She is also a NIH-funded K12 University of Illinois Chicago Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Program scholar. She was recently awarded the Triological Society, George L. Adams, MD Young Faculty Award, a prestigious national award given annually to recognize the contributions of a young academic otolaryngologist chosen by a committee of peers and department chairs. She is dedicated to continually translating knowledge gained in the research arena to clinical practice.

Specialties & Services

• Allergy - Nasal Allergy
• Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks
• Chronic Sinusitis
• Ear, Nose, and Throat
• Endoscopic Orbital Decompression / Thyroid Eye Disease
• Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery / Balloon Sinuplasty
• Head and Neck Cancer Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Treatment of Sinus / Nasal Conditions
• Nasal Obstruction
• Nasal Polyps
• Nasal Surgery
• Otolaryngology
• Rhinology
• Sinus Disease
• Sinus Surgery
• Sinus / Nasal Tumors
• Skull Base Surgery
• Skull Base Tumors / Pituitary Tumors
• Smell Loss

Education

Board Certification
American Board of Otolaryngology

Residency
University of Washington School of Medicine, Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

Fellowship
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery

Fellowship
University of Washington School of Medicine, Clinical Research (T32), Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

Awards

• Centralized Otolaryngology Research Efforts (CORE) Research Award, 2015
• 1^st Place Poster Presentation, American Rhinologic Society Annual Meeting, 2017
• 2^nd Place Clinical Paper, Rhinoworld Chicago, 2019
• Cures Within Reach “Repurposing Research to Address Racial / Ethnic Health Disparities in the Greater Chicago Area” Award, 2021
• ChicAgo Center for Health and EnvironmenT (CACHET) Pilot Project Award, 2021
• University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine Departmental Faculty Rising Star Award, 2022
• Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network (C3EN) Research Project Pilot Grant Award, 2022
• Triological Society Career Development Award, 2022
• University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Program Scholar, 2023
• American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Cochrane Scholar, 2023
• CS Modern Luxury Magazine: Top Doctors, 2023
• Chicago Magazine: Top Docs, 2024
• Triological Society, George L. Adams, MD Young Faculty Award, 2024

Complete List of Published Works: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/victoria.lee.1/bibliography/public/

Scholarly Activities

• Associate Editor, International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology
• Editorial Board, Rhinology

Societies/Committees

• President, Chicago Laryngological & Otological Society
• Committee Member, American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
  Outcomes Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Committee
• Committee Member, American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
  Rhinology & Allergy Education Committee
• Committee Member, American Rhinologic Society Awards Committee
• Committee Member, American Rhinologic Society Live and Ancillary Education Courses Committee
• Committee Member, North American Skull Base Society Research Committee

Memberships in Professional Organizations

• Fellow, American Rhinologic Society
• Member, American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
• Member, American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy
• Member, North American Skull Base Society
• Associate Member, ChicAgo Center for Health and EnvironmenT (CACHET)

Objectives

Optimizing clinical outcomes in patients with sinonasal conditions:

• Health Disparities
  • Survey socioeconomic barriers to accessing and receive care
  • Assess the association of social determinants of health/home environment and sinonasal disease outcomes
  • Use real-time objective and subjective data capture strategies to evaluate the relationship of home environmental exposures and sinonasal disease symptoms
• Imaging for surgical planning
  • To identify underreported anatomic characteristics on imaging important for endonasal endoscopic approaches
  • Defining, determining prevalence, and identifying associated features for these anatomic characteristics
• Topical therapies
  • Better define indications, factors that predict success
  • Assess their effectiveness, side effects, and tolerance
• Biological sex
  • Investigating sex differences in sinonasal disease
  • Evaluating the association of female sex hormones and sinonasal disease and outcomes

Assessing the impact of upper respiratory viruses and pollution in sinonasal disease:

• Establishing the feasibility of an in vitro model
• Characterizing the immune response of various sinonasal cell types after exposure to upper respiratory viral pathogens and pollutants