Dr Heather Lee is a biomedical scientist with more than 15 years’ experience in cancer research, epigentics, and developmental biology. She also holds unique technical expertise in single-cell epigenomics, having developed world-first methods for parallel analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression in the same cell.

During her postdoctoral training in Cambridge UK, Dr Lee applied these ground-breaking methods to embryonic stem cells, revealing new insights into epigenetic control of developmental processes.

Since establishing an independent laboratory in 2017, Heather has focused on epigenetic heterogeneity in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Using single-cell analyses, her team has revealed treatment-induced DNA methylation heterogeneity in AML cells with important implications for cell growth.

Her ultimate objective is to identify new treatment strategies to delay or prevent cancer relapse, based on a thorough understanding of the processes facilitating cell survival and adaptation.

Dr Lee has been an investigator on more than 25 successful grants with a total value of over $7M. These include a Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellowship, an NHMRC New Investigator Project Grant, an NHMRC Ideas Grant and an NHMRC Investigator Grant.

Heather has 41 publications, including 21 as lead or senior author. Her work has appeared in top-ranking journals and is highly cited (mean Field-Weighted Citation Index >5).