Nana H Lee

Dr. Nana Lee holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto, a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Michigan and was a Visiting Scholar at Whitehead (Broad) Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT with the world’s leading group of the International Human Genome Project. Her roles in the biotechnology industry include Senior Research Scientist for Ellipsis Biotherapeutics and Senior Research Scientist, Product Manager and Director of Application Science for DNA Software Inc. She brings her valuable expertise as an industry scientist and mother of three back into academia as she has pioneered the addition of professional development in biomedical graduate education. 

Along with Dr. Reinhart Reithmeier, she developed and implemented the innovative Graduate Professional Development (GPD) course in the fall of 2012 for the Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto which was published in Science Careers. She also brought GPD programming as an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream to the Department of Immunology, U of Toronto from 2014-2025. She directed the organization of the first Biomedical Career Workshop in 2013 sponsored by ASBMB, CSMB, Biochemistry, Immunology, U of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, and the Banting Research Foundation. She was the principal investigator in the CIHR-funded disemmination grant to organize Life Science Career Expo in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Dr. Lee has had held two other higher education grants which funded her many projects over several years. She is the co-author of “Success After Graduate School (2017)” and “Success in Graduate School and Beyond” 2024, published by University of Toronto Press. 

She currently holds the position of Associate Professor, Teaching Stream and Director of Graduate Professional Development (GPD), Chair for  WIDE (Wellness, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) Committee for the Department of Biochemistry and is the Special Advisor, Graduate Education for the Dean of Temerty Faculty of Medicine as of 2025.  She has presented to over 4000 audience members from high school, undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty and professionals throughout the USA, Canada and Asia. She was awarded the Temerty Faculty Award for Excellence in Professional Values in 2022. Dr. Lee enthusiastically brings her learnings from her sabbatical 2022-23 experience as a Visiting Professor at Harvard Medical School and Stanford University back to her teachings at home.

Appointments, Cross Affiliations, Memberships 
Regional Director, Graduate Career Consortium (GCC)
Member, AAMC GREAT Group, GPDN, GCC

Courses Taught 
BCH2101 Scientific Skills for Biochemists
BCH2206H Interdisciplinary Science (design-stage)
BCH2200 Design Thinking for Scientists 
BCH 2201H Graduate Professional Development 
MGY280Y Second Year Specialist Research 
VIC170Y1Y The Impact of Science in Our Society (Annual Guest Lecturer)

Articles 
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/career-advice/carpe-careers/2024/05/13/how-create-job-you-love-when-it-doesnt-yet-exist
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/career-advice/carpe-careers/2023/05/01/creating-sabbatical-any-stage-your-career 
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/07/11/gap-year-wont-disadvantage-your-professional-development-opinion 
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/02/21/how-use-extracurricular-activities-advance-your-career-opinion 
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/05/17/advice-grad-students-determining-whether-they-should-pursue-career-academe-or 
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/pivoting-your-graduate-work-during-covid-19/ 
https://sciencepolicy.ca/posts/training-the-next-generation-of-scientists-right-now-challenges-and-suggestions/ 
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/05/17/advice-grad-students-determining-whether-they-should-pursue-career-academe-or 
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/10/19/how-being-equity-minded-scholar-can-support-your-own-professional-career-growth 
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/graduate-matters/an-internship-during-your-phd-can-be-vital-to-your-career-development/ 
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/graduate-matters/finding-the-right-supervisor-student-match/ 
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/best-practices-for-reducing-time-to-completion/ 
http://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/essential-networking-tips-for-graduate-students 
http://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/training-the-trainers/ 
http://www.universityaffairs-digital.com/universityaffairs/201502?pg=58&pm=2&fs=1#pg58 
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2013_10_01/caredit.a1300216 
http://www.immpressmagazine.com/letter-to-the-editor-in-response-to-the-many-paths-post-phd/ 

Publications 
Success in Graduate School and Beyond, March 2024 
Nana Lee and Reinhart Reithmeier Read
Success After Graduate School
Nana Lee and Reinhart Reithmeier 2017  Read 
Training the Next Generation of Scientists Right Now: Challenges and Suggestions 
Chloe Mitchell, Ashton Trotman-Grant, Nana Lee 
Canadian Science Policy Conference Editorial 2020, Nov 11, 2020  Read 
Everyday Tips for Equity-Minded Scholars 
Nana Lee 
Inside Higher Education, Carpe Careers October 19, 2020  Read 
Making professional connections in a virtual world 
Nana Lee University Affairs, Career Advice Feature Aug 24, 2020 Read 

Some of her invited speaking engagements since 2017 about professional development include: 
June 12, 2025  Selected Proposal for Presentation Showcase Nana Lee & Helen Miliotis, A three-year research study of a curriculum embedded GPD course: increased career readiness, skills development and hope. Graduate Career Consortium, Minneapolis, USA (did not attend)
April 8, 2025 Beyond the Bench: Career Development Workshop, Association of Graduate Students in the Biological Sciences, York University
April 3, 2025  International Congress of Medicine (ICAM) Career Professional Development Three One-Hour Workshops for MD/PhD trainees, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (~40 attendees per each of the three sessions)
February 27, 2025 Panelist, “Implementation of Life Design Practices in Graduate Studies” Graduate Career Consortium’s South Central Regional Conference (Virtual) n=3
April 26, 2025   Speaker, Career Session, Biochemistry Day – Annual Outreach to GTA High School Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds, Three sessions of ~30 students each and chat over lunch
April 26, 2025   Mentor, Career Mentorship Panel, SOIREE Korean Canadian Scholarship Foundation Networking Night for Professionals 
January 23, 2025 Judge and Feedback Presenter for Five Minute Thesis, Women in Science and Engineering, Delta Hotel, Toronto 
January 9, 2025 Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, “The Art of Impromptu Presentations and Giving Effective Feedback” Invited Guest Lecture, RSI Graduate Student GPD Course led by Dr. Nav Baldeo 

2024 
October 25, 2024 UHN Professional Development for Postdoctoral Researchers, Princess Margaret Hospital (n=40)
June 27, 2024 Selected Proposal for Panel Discussion Communicating Innovation: Insights from GCC’s Carpe Careers Contributors, Katie Homar; Mabel Perez-Oquendo; Sarah Hardesty Bray; Robbie Pearson; Rebekah Layton; Nana Lee, Graduate Career Consortium, Philadelphia, USA (declined to attend due to health leave but sent my viewpoints to be read in person) 
June 24, 2024 Academia to Industry Meeting (AIM), Science to Business Network “Find Your Skills – Discover your Superpower” (cancelled and found another speaker due to health leave) 
April 17, 2024 International Congress of Medicine (ICAM) Career Professional Development Three Workshops (90 minutes each) for MD/PhD trainees, Vancouver, BC (Zoom) 
May 31, 2024 “Success during and after the PostDoc” UHN Postdoctoral Association (UHNPA), Toronto 
May 3, 2024 Panelist, Career Panel, IMMSPIRE, Outreach Program for High School Students in GTA Organized by Grad Students of Immunology 
March 23, 2024 Creating Your Dream Career, Science and Society, Beyond Sciences Initiative Annual Conference 
March 2, 2024 Creating Meaningful Engagements in STEM, Girls in STEM Outreach Program for Grades 7/8, Dept of Mathematics 
Jan 27, 2024 Research Career Development, Speaker, Biochemistry Undergraduate Student Society Symposium 

2023 
Fall Career Development Workshops Series, Tufts University, Boston, MA 
Career Development for MSc Students, Harvard University, Boston, MA 
July 27 Creating your Dream Career with your PhD, The Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre 
April 13 International Congress of Medicine (ICAM) Career Professional Development Three Workshops (an hour each: Relfection using the IDP, Meaningful Engagement, Marketing Your Brand) for MD/PhD trainees, Quebec City, Quebec 
March 18 Creating Your Dream Career, Science and Society, Beyond Sciences Initiative Annual Conference 
Jan 20  “Best Practices in Applying to Graduate Schools, Summer Research and Jobs” GLSE, Virtual 

2022 
July 5-8, 2022 “A Graduate Course on Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship in Academia, Industry and Non-Profit” Nana Lee, Graduate Career Consortium National Conference, San Francisco, USA 
June 14, 2022 CSHRF + Gairdner Professional Development Workshop (3 hrs) University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada 
May 10, 2022 Confidence Building as a Researcher with Networking, Interviews, Presenting and Marketing Your Brand, Pre-Conference HQP Development AGM and Canadian Glycomics Network, Banff Centre for Creativty and Arts, Banff, Alberta 
May 7, 2022 Design Thinking “Wicked” Complex Problems – Together in Real-time, IGRAD Conference, Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Discovery Conference 
May 6, 2022 Keynote, IGRAD Conference, Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Discovery Conference 
May 6, 2022 How to Write the Best Resume, Young Investigators Forum, Hypertension Canada Conference 
May 2, 2022 Moderator, IMS Connects Panel Discussion (3 hrs) 
March 25, 2022 Graduate Student Wellness Programs at the University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Graduate Career Consortium Regional Conference (Virtual), University of New Hampshire 
March 23, 2022 An Overview of Life Science Careers and Tips to Get There, Amgen WISE Careers in Life Sciences Industry 
March 5, 2022 Creating Your Dream Career, Science and Society, Beyond Sciences Initiative Annual Conference 
Feb 17, 2022 Career Guest for Discussions with Students for UTSC’s Department of Physical and Environmental Science (DPES) networking event 
Feb 8, 2022 RSI Mentorship and IDP Mentor Workshop, RSI Mentorship Program, RSGSU Mentorship Committee 
Jan 21, 2022 Best Practices In Applying for Graduate School, Research and Jobs, GSLE 

2021 
Dec 14, 2021 Optimizing Your Grad Experience to be Market-Ready for Any Career, University of Guelph Seminar Series 
Dec 13, 2021 MBPCDA Presents: Crafting Your LinkedIn Profile with Dr. Nana Lee, Medical Biophysics Student Group 
Dec 3, 2021 In Remembrance: Leigh’s Syndrome, French Canadian-type with Dr. Brian Robinson, Hospital for Sick Children 
Dec 3, 2021 Picture a Scientist Discussion Leader at Ontario Institution of Cancer Research 
Nov 15, 2021 Wise Practices in Mentorship, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology 
Sept 16, 2021 Career Panelist for Young Scientists Organizing Committing for ClostPath 2021, an international conference on the molecular biology and pathogenesis of Clostridia. 
Sept 1-4, 2021 Guest Panelist “Dealing with Covid Burnout and Being an Asian Woman in Science” Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists & Engineers (AKCSE) is hosting the Women in Science & Engineering (WiSE) program in Canada-Korea Conference (CKC), Halifax, Nova Scotia 
Mar-August 30, 2021 Monthly Speaker, Medicine by Design, Creating Your Career Blueprint Series 
August 30, 2021 Best Practices in Mentorship, Department of Molecular Genetics 
August 13, 2021 Amgen Biotech Bench to Biotech Career Panelist 
Organizer and Facilitator, GLSE Students Leadership Conference 
Keynote Speaker, Career Development Workshop, Canadian Student Health Research Forum    
Keynote Facilitator (Organzing Committee Member), Life Sciences Career Expo 
Speaker, University of Guelph GPD Day 
Speaker, Introduction to IDPs, PRiME (Precision Medicine Initiative) 
Keynote Faculty Speaker, Outreach Program, REACH by CLAMPS, LMP 
Speaker, EDI in Scientific Research, Ontario Institute of Cancer Research 
Department of Nutritional Sciences Mentorship Program Workshop II on Careers 
Speaker and Facilitator, Global Beyond Science Initiative Virtual Conference  
Presenter “Student as Partners Model for GPD Programming” Regional Meeting for Graduate Career Consortium, Boston University 
University Health Network Teaching & Learning Symposium Workshop on IDPs 
Human Biology Undergraduate Career Development Workshop 
“Success In and After Graduate School” Talk for UT Mississauga GPD Day 
Speaker, Life Science Career Expo Primer Event (n=177) 
Panelist, Science to Business Network “Breaking Down Barriers and Strengthening Diversity in STEM” (n=100) 
Ontario Institute of Cancer (OICR) Research Rising Stars Mentorship Workshop 
Department of Nutritional Sciences Mentorship Program Workshop on IDPs 
“Best Practices in Applying to Graduate Schools, Summer Research and Jobs” (n=111) 

2020 
Facilitator,”Brainstorming Green Labs Initiative” for FacMed 
Speaker and Facilitator “Wise Practices of Mentorship”  GLSE 
EDI Panelist, UT Scarborough GPD Day: Diversity and Inclusion in STEM 
Speaker, Graduate Professional Development, CLAMPS, LMP Weekly Seminar 
Facilitator re: Discussion on Post-Picture a Scientist, Biochemistry, Immunology, Pharm-Toxicology 
Speaker, “Wise Practices Using the Individual Development Plan” RSI 
Sept 2020 “The Power of Community: Design-thinking our Way to Novel Solutions” Proposal for Presentation Accepted, American Association of Medical Colleges, Graduate Research Education and Training Group Conference, Chicago, USA – planning on hold 
Aug 2020 Keynote, Canadian Student Health Research Forum, National CIHR Professional Development Symposium, Virtual Format. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJfuGsr_px8&feature=youtu.be (video availabe until end of July, 2021) 
July 2020 “Essentials of Professional Development” Korean Canadian Scientists Group, Toronto 
June 2020 Assessing the impact of curricular graduate professional development using complementary quantitative and qualitative measures, Graduate Career Consortium, Virtual North American Conference, Co-Presenters: Helen Miliotis, Rebecca Laposa, Yoojin Choi, Reinhart Reithmeier (n=48 attendees)    
April 2020 GPD Day, Departments of Biochemistry, Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario with Science to Business London Chapter, Virtual Discussion 
April 2020 Best Practices in Writing the Resume” Women in STEM, Toronto Chapter 
Feb 2020 Career Panelist, Global Beyond Science Initiative International Virtual Conference 
Feb 2020 Day Two: Next Steps, Graduate Life Sciences and Education (GLSE), University of Toronto 
Jan 2020 Best Practices in Applying to Graduate Schools, Summer Research and Jobs, Graduate Life Sciences and Education (GLSE), University of Toronto 
Jan 2020 Success in and after Graduate School, GPD Day, U of Toronto Scarborough 

2019 
“Future Skills and Talent Development: Program Implementation Panel Session“ Canadian Science Policy Conference, Ottawa, Canada.  Facilitator Lead for Panel Workshop with Dr. Bruce Seet (S2BN), Dr. Peter Severinson (Mitacs), Dr. Vivian Nguyen (Carleton) for approximately 30 policy analysts, faculty, students and industry professionals resulting in positive feedback such as “this is the best facilitated discussion I have attended” 
“Success In and After Graduate School” University of Ottawa, Department of Biochemistry 
“Success In and After Graduate School” Carleton University, Department of Biochemistry 
“Career Transitions” IMS Panel, U of  Toronto with Dr. Zayna Khayat, Dr. Wilfrid de Vegas 
“Success In and After Graduate School: Reflection, Meaningful Engagement, Strategic Communications” U of Calgary 
“Design Thinking Applied: Generative, Team-Learning in Graduate Professional Development” Co-presented with Dr. Allan Kaplan and Lead Facilitator for Workshop on Ideation Brainstorming American Association of Medical Colleges, GREAT (Graduate Research Education and Training)National Conference, Seattle, Washington 
“GPD: Reflection, Meaningful Engagement, Strategic Communications, Next Steps” Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, U of Toronto 
“GPD: A Seven Year Review and Looking Forward” at Biochemistry Retreat 
“Intro to GPD” at Speech Language Pathology Grad Student Orientation 
“Graduate Professional Development: Toward Becoming an International Scientist” RIKEN Brain Institute – Tokyo, Japan & Seoul National University, Incheon University, Seoul, South Korea 
“Creating Community through Curriculum-Embedded Professional Development Courses” Graduate Career Consortium National Conference, Co-Presenters: Yoojin Cho, R. Reithmeier, New Orleans, Louisiana 
“A New Frontier: Strategies and Outcome for Embedding Professional Development within the Graduate Curriculum” Graduate Career Consortium National Conference, Copresenting with Cynthia Fuhrmann (UMass Medical) P. Phelps (Johns Hopkins) New Orleans, Louisiana 
“Success After Graduate School” University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario 
“The Informational Interview" The Lung Association RENASCENT / CIHR-ICRH Workshop In partnership with the Canadian Respiratory Research Network and Canadian Thoracic Society, Ottawa 
“Creating Your Professional Network” IMS GPD Course Guest Speaker, Toronto
“Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Canada” Invited Moderator for Science to Business Network Event with Drs. Christine Allen, Zayna Khayat and Cynthia Goh 
“Fireside chat with Dr. Nana Lee" – Creating your Career Path” Sunnybrook Hospital, Sunnybrook Peer Network Inaugural Seminar, Toronto 

 2018 
“Is the Life Sciences PhD on Life Support or Alive and Well?” Association of American Medical Colleges GREAT (Group on Graduate Research, Education and Training) Conference, Atlanta 
“Creating Your Career Path with Your Grad Degree” Canadian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences Annual Symposium, Toronto 
“Using the Three Minute Thesis for Interviews, Outreach and Networking” American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Meeting, San Diego, California 
“The Best Resume and Cover Letter” Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto 
“Success After Graduate School” Biomedical Engineering Students Association Career Day, Toronto 
“The Academic CV” Cancer Education Scholars Program, Toronto General Hospital 
“Best Practices Learned over 5 Years in Biochemistry’s GPD Course” University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Calgary 

2017 
“Training the Trainers” Graduate Career Consortium, Boston University 
Fireside Chat about Careers after Grad School, Infectious Disease Consortium, Harvard University 
Parents with PhDs, School of Graduate Studies, U Toronto 
“Ask the Expert” Nature Jobs Life in the Phd Lane Podcast 
“Success After Graduate School” University of Guelph, OVC
“Impact in Science” LMP High School Mentorship Program 
“Genes, Genomes and You: Impact of NextGen Sequencing” U of Toronto Summer Youth Meds 
“Engaging Industry and Academia in GPD” Graduate Career Consortium, Houston 
Trainee GPD Seminar, Canadian Society of Molecular Biology, Ottawa 
Trainee GPD Seminar, McGill University 
Trainee Breakfast Plenary, Canadian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Montreal 
GPD in Faculty Development, Teaching and Learning Symposium, U of Toronto 
Trainee GPD Seminar, Industry Link, McMaster University 
Trainee Special Workshop, Canadian Society of Immunology, Banff, Alberta 
Keynote for Lead Together Conference, U of Toronto 
Graduate Professional Development, Department of Astronomy, U of Toronto