Lillie is a published author and nationally recognized speaker on breast cancer, having written 15 books and more than 300 articles on the subject. She serves on the medical advisory board of 34 national breast cancer organizations, and is the co-founder and vice president of national nonprofit organization called Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer.

Lillie serves as “Ask an Expert” for the Johns Hopkins Breast Center. She also is an active clinical researcher, with a focus on quality-of-life issues for survivors, as well as a strong advocate for patients with stage IV breast cancer.

In 2008, the Johns Hopkins Board of Trustees appointed Lillie to a physician chair as a University Distinguished Service Assistant Professor of Breast Cancer. It was the first time in the history of the institution that a hospital nurse has been appointed to a distinguished service designation. Since then she has climbed the physician academic ladder to the top and became a full professor of surgery and oncology in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2016. She has received 46 national and 6 state awards, including being chosen by Johnson & Johnson as the Most Amazing Nurse in America.