She grew up in Glendale, Wisconsin and attended Smith College, where she majored in biology and minored in studio art. Dr. Lee received her M.D., Ph.D. (cell biology) from Duke University. She completed her internship in internal medicine at the University of Washington, and then returned to Duke University where she completed her residency in dermatology and remained on faculty until 2005.Early in her dermatology career, she was involved in research of RNA aptamers in human disease, supported by grants from the American Skin Association and the Dermatology Foundation.