• Cardiac imaging, particularly echocardiography
• Valvular heart disease and its mechanisms
• Heart failure and cardiomyopathy
• Structural heart interventions and surgery
• Artificial intelligence (AI) applications in cardiovascular disease
• Robotics and automation in echocardiography

Alex Lee leads a translational research program positioned at the frontier of cardiovascular medicine, where advanced imaging, structural heart intervention, and intelligent technologies converge to shape the future of patient care. His work is anchored in echocardiography – particularly three-dimensional echocardiography – as a cornerstone modality for characterizing cardiac anatomy, quantifying function, and guiding complex transcatheter procedures. A central theme of his research addresses structural heart disease, with a focus on valvular disorders such as mitral and tricuspid regurgitation and their management through contemporary interventions including transcatheter edge-to-edge repair and emerging valve therapies.

Building on this clinical and imaging foundation, Alex integrates artificial intelligence into echocardiographic workflows, developing models for automated chamber quantification, strain analysis, and valvular assessment to enhance diagnostic precision, reproducibility, and clinical efficiency. In parallel, he investigates the transformative potential of robotics to augment procedural accuracy, standardize image acquisition, and enable autonomous and remote capabilities. Collectively, his scholarly vision is to establish an intelligent, image-driven, and robotically empowered paradigm that advances structural heart care and shapes the next generation of cardiovascular medicine at CU Medicine and beyond.

Alex Lee is a distinguished cardiologist and Professor in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He serves as Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory at Prince of Wales Hospital and Director of the Laboratory of Cardiac Imaging and 3D Printing at the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences. Alex is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the Hong Kong College of Cardiology (HKCC), and the Royal College of Physicians. He currently serves as Chairman of the Research and Education Committee of the Asian-Pacific Association of Echocardiography and is Director of Advances in Structural Heart Imaging International Conference.

With over 300 peer‑reviewed publications and extensive leadership experience, Alex has made significant contributions to the advancement of echocardiography and cardiovascular medicine. He has led more than 40 clinical trials and has received numerous prestigious honors, including the ESC Young Investigator Award, the CUHK Research Excellence Award, the State Ministry of Education First‑Class Award, and the HB Calleja Professorial Lectureship from the Philippine Heart Association. Reflecting his international standing, he has delivered the Richard Yu Lectureship of the Hong Kong College of Physicians and the Hong Kong Heart Foundation Lecture of the HKCC.

1. Hong Kong Heart Foundation Lecture, 33rd Annual Scientific Congress, Hong Kong College of Cardiology (2025)
2. HB Calleja Professorial Lecturer, Philippine Heart Association (2025)
3. Expert in Three-Dimensional Echocardiography, Expertscape (2021)
4. Distinguished Young Fellow Award, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (2016)
5. The Richard Yu Lectureship, Hong Kong College of Physicians (2015)
6. Research Excellence Award, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2014)
7. Distinguished Research Paper Award for Young Investigator, Hong Kong College of Physicians (Three-Time Recipient: 2009, 2011, 2013)
8. First Class Award in Scientific and Technological Progress, Ministry of Education, China (2012)
9. Best Presenter Award, Hong Kong College of Physicians (2009)
10. Young Investigator Award, EUROECHO, European Society of Cardiology (2008)

1. Solomon SD, McMurray JJV, Vaduganathan M, Claggett B, Jhund PS, Desai AS, Henderson AD, Lam CSP, Pitt B, Senni M, Shah SJ, Voors AA, Zannad F, Abidin IZ, Alcocer-Gamba MA, Atherton JJ, Bauersachs J, Chang-Sheng M, Chiang CE, Chioncel O, Viswanathan P, et al. Finerenone in heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2024;391(16):1475-1485. doi:10.1056/nejmoa2407107.
2. Xu H, Chen M, Wang Z, Huo J, Li J, He F, Husanova F, Li H, Zhou D, Zhang X, Liu X, Song G, Li J, Luo J, Guo Y, Mou Y, Yuan S, Tao T, Wu S, Teng P, Ni Y, Ma L, Pan X, Ge J, Lee APW, Li W. Mid-term outcomes of K-Clip Transcatheter Tricuspid Annuloplasty System in patients with severe functional tricuspid regurgitation. JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. 2024;17(23):2796-2807. doi:10.1016/j.jcin.2024.10.007.
3. Leung SPY, Dougherty S, Zhang XY, Kam KKH, Chi WK, Chan JYS, Fung E, Wong JKT, Choi PCL, Chan DKH, Sheng B, Lee APW. The Asian Fabry Cardiomyopathy High-risk Screening Study 2 (Asian-FAME-2): Prevalence of Fabry disease in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2024;13(13):3896. doi:10.3390/jcm13133896.
4. Raja Shariff RE, Soesanto AM, Scalia GM, Ewe SH, Izumo M, Liu L, Li WCW, Kam KKH, Fan Y, Hong GR, Kinsara AJ, Tucay ES, Oh JK, Lee APW. Echocardiographic imaging in transcatheter structural intervention: An AAE review paper. JACC: Asia. 2023;3(4):556-579. doi:10.1016/j.jacasi.2023.05.012. (Review)
5. Hamid N, Bursi F, Benfari G, Vanoverschelde JL, Tribouilloy C, Biagini E, Avierinos JF, Barbieri A, Fan Y, Guerra F, Leng CY, Essayagh B, Pasquet A, Szymansky C, Théron A, Michelena HI, Nkomo VT, Vancraeynest D, Rusinaru D, Grigioni F, Enriquez-Sarano ML, Pin DZ, Lee APW. Degenerative mitral regurgitation outcomes in Asian compared with European-American institutions. JACC: Asia. 2024;4(6):468-480. doi:10.1016/j.jacasi.2024.03.003.
6. Anand V, Scott CG, Hyun MC, Lara-Breitinger K, Nkomo VT, Kane GC, Pislaru C, Kopecky KF, Schulte PJ, Pislaru SV. The 5 phenotypes of tricuspid regurgitation: Insight from cluster analysis of clinical and echocardiographic variables. JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. 2023;16(2):156-165. doi:10.1016/j.jcin.2022.10.055.
7. Morais P, Fan Y, Queirós S, D’hooge J, Lee APW, Vilaça JL. Feasibility and accuracy of automated three-dimensional echocardiographic analysis of left atrial appendage for transcatheter closure. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. 2022;35(1):124-133. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2021.08.023.
8. So CY, Li S, Fu GH, Chen W, Kam KKH, Lee APW, Chu HM, Xu YW, Yan BP, Lam YY. Procedural and short-term outcomes of occluding large left atrial appendages with the LAmbre device. EuroIntervention. 2021;17(1):90-92. doi:10.4244/eij-d-19-00821. (Editorial)
9. Mao Z, Zhao L, Huang S, Fan Y, Pui-Wai Lee A. Direct 3D ultrasound fusion for transesophageal echocardiography. Computers in Biology and Medicine. 2021;134:104502. doi:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104502.
10. Liu X, Fan Y, Li S, Chen M, Li M, Hau WK, Zhang H, Xu L, Lee APW. Deep learning-based automated left ventricular ejection fraction assessment using 2-D echocardiography. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2021;321(2):H390-H399. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00416.2020.
11. Lam SHM, Cheng IT, Li EK, Wong P, Lee J, Yip RML, Yim CW, Ying SK, Li M, Li TK, Lee APW, Tam LS. DAPSA, carotid plaque and cardiovascular events in psoriatic arthritis: A longitudinal study. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2020;79(10):1320-1326. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-217595.
12. Cheng IT, Shang Q, Li EK, Wong PC, Kun EW, Law MY, Yip RM, Yim IC, Lai BT, Ying SK, Kwok KY, Li M, Li TK, Zhu TY, Lee JJ, Chang MM, Szeto CC, Yan BP, Lee AP, Tam LS. Effect of achieving minimal disease activity on the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness: A prospective cohort study in psoriatic arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatology. 2019;71(2):271-280. doi:10.1002/art.40695.
13. Fan Y, Yang F, Cheung GSH, Chan AKY, Wang DD, Lam YY, Chow MCK, Leong MCW, Kam KKH, So KCY, Tse G, Qiao Z, He B, Kwok KW, Lee APW. Device sizing guided by echocardiography-based three-dimensional printing is associated with superior outcome after percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. 2019;32(6):708-719.e1. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2019.02.003.
14. Tang Z, Fan YT, Wang Y, Jin CN, Kwok KW, Lee APW. Mitral annular and left ventricular dynamics in atrial functional mitral regurgitation: A three-dimensional and speckle-tracking echocardiographic study. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. 2019;32(4):503-513. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2018.11.009.
15. Lee APW, Jin CN, Fan Y, Wong RHL, Underwood MJ, Wan S. Functional implication of mitral annular disjunction in mitral valve prolapse: A quantitative dynamic 3D echocardiographic study. JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging. 2017;10(12):1424-1433. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2016.11.022.
16. Jin CN, Salgo IS, Schneider RJ, Kam KKH, Chi WK, So CY, Tang Z, Wan S, Wong R, Underwood M, Lee APW. Using anatomic intelligence to localize mitral valve prolapse on three-dimensional echocardiography. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. 2016;29(10):938-945. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2016.07.002.
17. Lee APW, Hsiung MC, Salgo IS, Fang F, Xie JM, Zhang YC, Lin QS, Looi JL, Wan S, Wong RHL, Underwood MJ, Sun JP, Yin WH, Wei J, Tsai SK, Yu CM. Quantitative analysis of mitral valve morphology in mitral valve prolapse with real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography: Importance of annular saddle shape in the pathogenesis of mitral regurgitation. Circulation. 2013;127(7):832-841. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.112.118083.
18. Liang YJ, Zhang Q, Fang F, Lee APW, Liu M, Yan BPY, Lam YY, Chan GCP, Yu CM. Incremental value of global systolic dyssynchrony in determining the occurrence of functional mitral regurgitation in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. European Heart Journal. 2013;34(10):767-774. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehs078.
19. Lee APW, Song JK, Yip GWK, Zhang Q, Zhu TG, Li C, Chan A, Yu CM. Importance of dynamic dyssynchrony in the occurrence of hypertensive heart failure with normal ejection fraction. European Heart Journal. 2010;31(21):2642-2649. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehq248.
20. Lee APW, Acker M, Kubo SH, Bolling SF, Park SW, Bruce CJ, Oh JK. Mechanisms of recurrent functional mitral regurgitation after mitral valve repair in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy: Importance of distal anterior leaflet tethering. 2009;119(19):2606-2614. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.108.796151.