Lee is internationally recognized for his research on physiological and ecological mechanisms of cold tolerance, dormancy and the winter ecology of temperate and polar insects and other ectotherms. His field research includes work on Ellesmere Island in the High Arctic and 10 field seasons on the Antarctic Peninsula — his most recent research expedition was just last year. Lee was also part of a team that sequenced the genome of B. antarctica — the first for an Antarctic animal.

As the first polar insect and first freeze-tolerant insect to be sequenced, B. antarctica offers a new opportunity for studying extremophile biology and insect genome evolution. Lee’s research in Antarctica has been funded continuously by the National Science Foundation with more than $3 million since 2004. His research in cryobiology extends from the South Pole to Miami’s backyard, where he collaborates with Jon Costanzo, adjunct professor of biology, and student researchers to study the wood frog, which can freeze solid in winter.

His honors include the Benjamin Harrison Medallion from Miami University, and election as a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.