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
BCH2200 Design Thinking for Scientists 
BCH 2201H Graduate Professional Development 
MGY280Y Second Year Specialist Research