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.jpg "Marrisa Lee, DDS, MPH photo")
Resident
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL
University of Illinois Chicago
Dr. Marrisa Lee, DDS, MPH, is a second-year pediatric dental resident at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, a member of the AAPD Resident Committee, and a 2026 representative for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Pediatric Oral Health Advocacy Conference (POHAC). She is a clinician, researcher, and advocate committed to advancing equitable oral healthcare for children and underserved communities.
Originally from Gainesville, Florida, Dr. Lee earned her Bachelor of Science from St. Thomas University, her Master of Public Health from Florida A&M University, and her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Meharry Medical College. Her academic and professional path reflects a sustained commitment to scholarship, service, and health equity.
Dr. Lee’s research experience spans both basic science and public health. As an undergraduate researcher at St. Thomas University, she studied the potential anticancer effects of Tradescantia spathacea plant extracts on MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro. She later served as a graduate researcher at Florida A&M University, where she contributed to research examining racial disparities and barriers to oral healthcare among patients treated at the Florida Mission of Mercy in Jacksonville, Florida.
At UIC, Dr. Lee is completing advanced specialty training in pediatric dentistry while pursuing a Master of Science in Oral Sciences. Her research focuses on pediatric oral health disparities, access to care, and the social and structural determinants that shape health outcomes, with an emphasis on advancing equitable, evidence-based approaches to improving care for children and underserved communities.
Dr. Lee’s work reflects a strong commitment to scholarship that informs advocacy, clinical care, and more equitable systems of oral health delivery.