James A. Lee, MD
Locations and Appointments
CUIMC/Milstein Hospital Building
CUIMC/Herbert Irving Pavilion
Second Opinion
Insurances Accepted
Before your appointment, please contact the doctor's office or your insurance provider to verify that your insurance is accepted. This list of insurances can change, and the insurance plans listed may not be accepted at all office locations for this provider.
About James A. Lee, MD
Dr. James Lee is an internationally recognized endocrine surgeon who specializes in the care of patients with thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal disorders. Dr. Lee is the Chief of Endocrine Surgery and the Edwin K. and Anne C. Weisskopf Professor of Surgical Oncology at Columbia University and the Physician Director of the Endocrine Service Line at the NY Presbyterian Hospital. He serves as Co-Director of the multidisciplinary Columbia Thyroid Center, Parathyroid Center, and Adrenal Center. He has been rated as one of the Best Doctors in America and is one of the highest volume endocrine surgeons in the country. Dr. Lee received his medical degree from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, completed his residency in General Surgery at Columbia and went on to a fellowship in Endocrine Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Lee is actively involved in the leadership of Endocrine Surgery at the national and international level. He serves on the Executive Council of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and Standing Faculty of the international Endocrine Surgery University. He co-created the inaugural Postgraduate Course in Endocrine Surgery at the American College of Surgeons and is a featured lecturer in the biannual Masters of Endocrine Surgery Course. He has authored over 100 articles and book chapters, including the AAES Parathyroidectomy Guidelines which sets the international standard for the care of patients with parathyroid disease. He is also the Co-Editor of Surgical Endocrinopathies and the Founding Figures which details state of the art care for patients with endocrine disorders as well as the rich history of discovery in the field. Dr. Lee has given over 100 invited lectures and visiting professorships at institutions around the world. He has travelled extensively to teach other endocrine surgeons advanced techniques such as minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery as well as laparoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomy. He has mentored dozens of clinical and research fellows over his career, many of whom are now leaders in their own institutions and abroad.
Dr. Lee also serves as the Vice Chair of New Media in the Columbia University Department of Surgery and Chair of the ColumbiaDoctors Communications Committee. In this role, he oversees the digital strategy for multiple groups across the medical center with the mission of providing the highest quality education on health and wellness to the global audience.
Board Certifications
- Surgery
Specialties & Expertise
- Adrenal and Pituitary Disease
- Adrenal Cancer
- Adrenal Disorder
- Adrenal Gland Disorders
- Adrenal Incidentaloma
- Adrenal Laparoscopic Surgery
- Adrenal Mass
- Adrenal Surgery
- Adrenal Tumor
- Adrenalectomy
- Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer (ATC)
- Cushing's Syndrome
- Endocrine Cancer
- Endocrine Disorders
- Endocrine Tumor
- Goiter
- Graves’ Disease
- Hyperaldosteronism
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Men 1 (Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1)
- Men 2 (Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2)
- Minimally Invasive Parathyroid Surgery
- Multinodular Goiter
- Neuroendocrine Carcinoma
- Neuroendocrine Tumor
- Overactive Thyroid
- Papillary Thyroid Cancer
- Paraganglioma
- Parathyroid Cancer
- Parathyroid Disease
- Parathyroid Neoplasm
- Parathyroid Surgery
- Pheochromocytoma
- Primary Aldosteronism
- Primary Hyperparathyroidism
- Recurrent Thyroid Cancer
- Surgical Oncology
- Thyroid Cancer
- Thyroid Disease
- Thyroid Goiter
- Thyroid Lobectomy
- Thyroid Mass
- Thyroid Nodule
- Thyroid Removal
- Thyroid Surgery
- Thyroid Tumor
- Thyroidectomy
- Total Thyroidectomy
- Toxic Thyroid Nodule
Education
- Fellowship: University of California - San Francisco
- Residency: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
- Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Internship: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Leadership, Titles & Positions
- Chief, Endocrine Surgery
- Edwin K. and Anne C. Weiskopf Professor of Surgery and Surgical Oncology
- Surgical Director: Columbia Thyroid, Parathyroid, Adrenal Center
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Awards & Honors
- 1995 Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons Deans Summer Fellowship
- 1999 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Excellence in Humanism and Teaching Honoree
- 2000 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Excellence in Humanism and Teaching Honoree
- 2001 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Teacher of the Year Award
- 2002 New York Presbyterian Hospital Startup Grant
- 2003 New York Presbyterian Hospital Startup Grant
- 2004 Administrative Chief Resident New York-Presbyterian Hospital Department of Surgery
- 2004 Finalist, American College of Surgeons Resident Award for Exemplary Teaching
- 2004 New York Presbyterian Hospital Startup Grant
- 2005 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Grant
- 2005 Blakemore Award for best resident research at New York-Presbyterian Hospital
- 2005 Chairmans Grant, Department of Surgery
- 2005 Patent Pending: COACH medical education software
- 2005 Wound Healing Education Grant
- 2006 Development Grant, Department of Surgery
- 2006 Patent Pending: Beacon Delivery System
- 2007 Development Grant, Department of Surgery
- 2007 Finalist, Glenda Garvey Teaching Academy Fellowship
- 2007 Telly Bronze Award- Educational Video Category
- 2008 Development Grant, Department of Surgery
- 2008 Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
- 2008 Telly Bronze Award- Educational Video Category
- 2009 Development Grant, Department of Surgery
- 2009 Edwards Lifesciences Educational Grant
- 2010 Co-author for Uptodate “Primary surgery for Islet cell tumors of the pancreas”
- 2010 Visiting Professor, Brigham and Womens Hospital
- 2013 Visiting Professor, UCLA
- 2013 Visiting Professor, University of Virginia
- 2014 Visiting Professor, University of Calgary
- Co-editor, Surgical Endocrinopathies: Clinical Management and Founding Figures
- Executive Council of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
- New York Magazine's Top Doctors, 2015-2016
- Program Chair, American Association of Endocrine Surgeons meeting, 2016
- Secretary of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, 2018-2021