Mary Lee

@MaryLee_PhD on Twitter

Mathematician

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in mathematics, University of California, Irvine

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Mary Lee (she/her) is a mathematician at the RAND Corporation and inaugural Fellow for the RAND Center for Global Risk and Security. Her research interests include mathematical modeling and simulation of complex systems in the areas of defense/aerospace, cyber policy, and health care and chronic diseases. Projects at RAND include research on emerging Internet of Bodies technologies; analyzing air and space operations for the Department of the Air Force; creating simulation tools to help inform cyber security policies; and understanding the energy balance in obesity and the development of diabetes. Prior to her graduate studies, she worked for many years as a senior systems engineer at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, where much of her work centered on developing tracking algorithms for airborne radar systems. Lee received her Ph.D. and M.S. in mathematics from the University of California, Irvine, and B.A. in applied mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. Her dissertation research focused on mathematical modeling of cancer growth and metabolism.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Internet of Bodies
5G Opportunities and Risks
Reliable Communications in a Contested Environment
Warfighting in a Cyber-Contested Environment
Microsimulation of Obesity Policies

Honors & Awards

RAND Medal Award Key Contributor
RAND Spotlight Award
RAND Commentary Fellow 2022

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Cyberwire

Commentary

Space Exploration

Governance in Space: Mining the Moon and Beyond
Without further cooperation and agreement among space powers, multiple, competing governance systems may end up being established, further increasing potential for conflict. The time to address this issue is now, so that the use of deep-space resources contributes to prosperity, security, and freedom on Earth and throughout the solar system.
Nov 18, 2022
The Hill
Health Information Privacy

Privacy Rights Have Changed. Will Data Handling Follow?
Until privacy protection laws are cemented into place, consumer privacy won't be assured unless consumers can effectively take the steps they need to take to protect their data. Tech companies might view this as a burden, but there will likely be profits for those companies that instead see it as an opportunity.
Oct 24, 2022
Fast Company
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy

Now Could Be the Time to Form Policy for Emerging Brain- and Body-Enhancement Technologies
Policymakers might consider developing appropriate policy frameworks for emerging brain- and body-enhancement technologies to ensure that innovations harnessed for societal, economic, or military benefits do not create new vulnerabilities and that governments adequately defend and manage against potential attacks. The technology is quickly moving forward. Policy may need to play catch-up.
Jan 12, 2021
RealClearDefense
Health Information Privacy

Should Communities Be Concerned About Digital Technologies to Fight COVID-19?
Personal smart devices offer an unprecedented opportunity to identify, track, map, and communicate about COVID-19. But apps could pose privacy and security concerns.
May 13, 2020
Inside Sources
Health Information Privacy

The Perils of Connecting Our Bodies to the Internet
High-tech health care solutions are part of an emerging sector of medical technologies that monitor personal health data by essentially connecting your body to the Internet. As smart devices in health care evolve, the line between human and machine is blurring, and creating new concerns about consumer safety and privacy rights.
Oct 15, 2018
The WorldPost (Washington Post)

Publications

Report
Opportunities and Risks of 5G Military Use in Europe
The authors consider U.S. military uses of the fifth-generation technology standard for cellular communications in a notional 2030 time frame, concentrating on a future smart logistics mission in the Baltics and surrounding countries.
Mar 23, 2023
Report
Technological Approaches to Human Performance Enhancement
This report provides an examination of three possible modalities for generating human performance enhancement: genetic modifications, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Bodies approaches (implanted or worn devices are connected to a network).
Nov 23, 2021
Journal Article
Research in Mathematics and Public Policy
This volume features a variety of research projects at the intersection of mathematics and public policy. The topics included here fall in the areas of cybersecurity and climate change.
Dec 17, 2020
Report
The Internet of Bodies: Opportunities, Risks, and Governance
"Smart" devices are increasingly being used to monitor the human body. The authors examine these technologies; explore benefits, risks, and ethical implications; survey the regulatory landscape; and make recommendations to balance risks and rewards.
Oct 29, 2020
Report
Joint All-Domain Command and Control for Modern Warfare: An Analytic Framework for Identifying and Developing Artificial Intelligence Applications
The authors examine and recommend opportunities for applying artificial intelligence and, more broadly, automation to deliberate planning for joint all-domain command and control for the U.S. Air Force.
Jul 1, 2020
Report
Robust and Resilient Logistics Operations in a Degraded Information Environment
The U.S. Air Force asked RAND Project AIR FORCE to examine how tactics, techniques, and procedures should change to improve an airman's ability to detect, evaluate, and mitigate significant corruption of logistics data.
Nov 22, 2017

Multimedia

1:21

Data and Devices: The Information We Share
Feb 28, 2023
4:38

What Is the Internet of Bodies?
Oct 29, 2020