Sara S. Lee, PhD

Sara S. Lee serves as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics (MIMG) at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She provides strategic leadership for the department’s administrative and operational enterprise, aligning resources, institutional processes, and organizational goals to advance its scientific, educational, and institutional missions. Her responsibilities include comprehensive financial stewardship of federal, state, endowed, and sponsored research funds; human resources leadership; oversight of academic affairs and educational programs; and space planning and infrastructure management. Working at the intersection of the David Geffen School of Medicine and the College of Letters and Science, she navigates the distinct structures, priorities, and missions of each organization while supporting the department’s long-term goals. She holds a PhD in sociology and brings an interdisciplinary perspective to complex organizational leadership and higher education administration.