Brian Lee

Associate professor
Drexel University

Brian Lee is associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

From this contributor

Spectrum

By Brian Lee

11 April 2023

7 min read

A row of magazines against the wall with many adhesive notes stuck between their pages.

Journal club: Does lithium in drinking water contribute to autism?

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that autism is more common among people born in areas with high levels of lithium in drinking water, but it is too soon to say whether prenatal lithium exposure is truly a concern.

Spectrum

Journal club: Does lithium in drinking water contribute to autism?

By Brian Lee

11 April 2023 | 7 min read

Spectrum

By Brian Lee

7 January 2020

6 min read

Young man in textured space, environmental factors and genes swarm in and around him

Autism heritability: It probably does not mean what you think it means

The question of autism's heritability is compelling for researchers and laypeople alike, but many people in both groups misunderstand its definition.

Spectrum

Autism heritability: It probably does not mean what you think it means

By Brian Lee

7 January 2020 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

This paper changed my life

By Sidarta Ribeiro

14 July 2026

4 min read

Illustration of birdsong, bird brain, and DNA.

This paper changed my life: Embracing an early model for naturalistic neuroscience

A 1992 PNAS paper showed how birdsong upregulates the expression of an immediate early gene in bird forebrains. The work revealed to Ribeiro the importance of studying molecular responses in naturalistic contexts.

This paper changed my life