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Meet the Team

Alexi Vasbinder, PhD, RN 

Principal Investigator

Dr. Vasbinder is an Assistant Professor in Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics. She earned a PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Washington in 2021, along with a Graduate Certificate in Public Health Genetics. She went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Michigan, where she focused on developing strategies for managing cardiovascular risks in cancer patients. Her work has been supported by the NIH, American Cancer Society, American Nurses Foundation, Oncology Nursing Foundation, and institutional funding. Dr. Vasbinder is a leader in the field, serving on the Cardio-Oncology subcommittee for the American Heart Association and contributing to the development of clinical guidelines for the management of cancer patients with cardiovascular risks. In recognition of her work, Dr. Vasbinder has received several awards, including the New Investigator Award from the Seattle Cancer Consortium, the Commander S. Joseph & Margaret Elizabeth Patroni Endowed Fund for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, and the Early Career Investigator Award from the Women’s Health Initiative.

In her free time, she enjoys golfing, running, spending time with her family, and exploring new restaurants in Seattle.

Hyunhae Lee, MS, RN

PhD Student

Hyunhae is a PhD Student in Nursing Science at the University of Washington School of Nursing. Her research aims to improve the health status of cancer survivors through research on chronic diseases in cancer survivors and the development of bio-behavioral interventions incorporating digital health for these populations. She was born and raised in Seoul, Korea, and moved to Seattle in the summer of 2023. After her BSN, she worked as a clinical nurse in the surgical unit, caring for gastrointestinal, lung, and breast cancer patients. After completing her Master’s, she worked as a research assistant and lecturer at Chung-Ang University for 2 years. Her Master’s thesis focused on cancer survivors’ quality of life, based on their metabolic status. Also, as a research assistant, she focused on applying mobile interventions to cancer survivors sparking an interest in bio-behavioral interventions with digital health. Hyunhae is contributing to our research by investigating factors that contribute to frailty development in vulnerable hematopoietic cell transplant candidates and conducting a mixed-methods analysis exploring barriers and facilitators to exercise prior to transplant.

Since starting her PhD, she picked up running and as of February 2025, has run 100K! She also loves coffee and hopes to visit all the cafes in Seattle areas before graduation (contact her if you are looking for a new coffee spot!).