Dr. Nikki Lee

Assistant Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Nikki Lee. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Nikki Lee is a lecturer at the University of Sydney in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, having completed her PhD at the University of New South Wales in 2009. Her doctoral research focused on the role of neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y1 receptor in controlling bone mass and involved mentorship from Professor Herbert Herzog at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. As a post-doctoral researcher, she identified osteoglycin, a novel bone-derived hormone that affects glucose homeostasis and energy expenditure in insulin-target tissues, which led to successful NHMRC grant applications in 2018 and 2020. In 2022, Lee became an NHMRC research fellow at the School of Medical Sciences within the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney. Her research addresses the interaction between obesity, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis, focusing on neuropeptide pathways that govern energy partitioning between fat storage and bone building. Lee's work aims to develop innovative methodologies to dissect the leptin/NPY axis, elucidating mechanisms that control energy distribution and potentially uncovering new treatment avenues for metabolic disorders. Her recent projects include a NHMRC Ideas grant investigating leptin's interactions with NPY neurons, and exploring sex differences in energy homeostasis regulation as well as metabolic abnormalities in neurodegenerative disease patients.

Research Interests

Experience

Lecturer

— Present

University of Sydney • Sydney

Lecturer in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, focusing on neuropeptide pathways and their role in energy partitioning and metabolic health.

Awards

#

2023 CPC EMCR Seed Funding Grant

#

2022 EMCR Boost Scheme Travel Award

#

2019 Poster Prize, 12th International NPY-PYY PP Meeting

#

2018 ANZBMS Sol Posen Research Award

#

2016 Amgen-ANZBMS Outstanding Abstract Award

#

2009 Roger Melick Young Investigator Award

Requirements for University of Sydney

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:17
Reading
Required:17
Writing
Required:19
Speaking
Required:17
Total
Required:85
PTE
Listening
Required:54
Reading
Required:54
Writing
Required:54
Speaking
Required:54
Overall
Required:61
Prerequisites
A master's degree with a research component or a bachelor's degree with first or second-class honours. Demonstrated research experience and capability.
Application Checklist
  • Academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Research proposal (1000+ words)
  • Two academic referee reports
  • Evidence of residency status
  • Written statement of support from potential supervisor
Specialization Notes

This entry applies to Faculty of Science PhD programs including Departments such as Life and Environmental Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics and Statistics.