Dr. Zee oversees an interdisciplinary program in sleep and circadian rhythm research, with findings that have paved the way for innovative approaches to improve sleep and circadian health. Zee is the founder of the first circadian medicine clinic in the USA, where innovative treatments are available for patients with circadian rhythm disorders.

A central theme of her research program is understand the role of circadian-sleep interactions on the expression and development of cardiometabolic and neurologic disorders. Zee's research has focused on the effects of age and neurodegeneration on sleep and circadian rhythms and pathophysiology of circadian sleep-wake disorders.

Zee also has authored more than 300 peer reviewed original articles, reviews and chapters on the topics of sleep, circadian rhythms, and sleep/wake disorders. She has also trained over 50 pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students and has mentored numerous faculty members. Zee is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, and a member of the American Neurological Association. She is past president of the sleep research Society, past president of the Sleep Research Society Foundation, and past chair of the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board. She is the recipient of the American Academy of Neurology Sleep Science Award and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Achievement Award.