HOUSTON, Texas — Yunhai Lee, a 35-year-old researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center, was arrested last month at George Bush Intercontinental Airport for allegedly stealing US-funded breast cancer vaccine research and uploading it to a Chinese server.
Authorities discovered that Lee, who abruptly quit his position on July 1, uploaded sensitive and confidential medical research onto a Baidu server in China, despite signing declarations denying any foreign ties. He was employed at MD Anderson since 2022 and worked on a vaccine aimed at preventing breast cancer spread.
Prosecutors revealed Lee first saved the research on his personal Google Drive but deleted it after being confronted by the institute. However, investigators later found he secretly shared files with Chinese entities while on a scholar exchange visa funded by the US National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense.
Border Patrol agents found unpublished research, trade secrets, drawings, and models on Lee’s Baidu account. Lee claimed he took the files because he felt it was his “right” and believed the research was “going to waste.”
Lee was charged with theft of trade secrets and tampering with government records, crimes that carry up to 10 years in prison and heavy fines. Federal charges may follow. He has posted a $5,100 bond and was ordered to surrender his passport.
District Attorney Sean Terre emphasized Houston’s commitment to protecting groundbreaking medical research and vowed zero tolerance for such acts.
