What is your area of research, and why are you passionate about it?
I study how the gut keeps itself healthy, what happens when it goes wrong, and how gut problems can affect other organs like the brain. I love this work because the gut is an incredibly complex and fascinating organ that’s essential for life. It’s exciting to think that diet or simple gut-focused treatments might one day help prevent diseases far beyond the gut.
When did you join LIMS – what drew you here, and why did you stay?
I joined LIMS at the end of 2015 because it had a world-class reputation in molecular biology, biochemistry, and disease research. Over time, LIMS became even more focused on multidisciplinary, collaborative science that aims to improve patient outcomes. That approach really matches the way I like to work - teaming up with others to create research that makes a real difference.
What to you makes LIMS unique as a research institute?
LIMS is unique because people here genuinely want to collaborate, not compete. We get to work with physicists, chemists, engineers and many others to find creative, outside-the-box solutions to big health problems. I also love that LIMS puts equity and inclusion at the centre of everything we do, so our science and the benefits it creates reaches everyone.
What do you hope to achieve as Deputy Director of LIMS?
As Deputy Director, I want to help LIMS stand out in a very competitive research world by focusing on what we’re truly good at and working together as real teams, not individuals with egos. I also want to make sure that people from all backgrounds, no matter where they live or their circumstances, have a voice in shaping what we research. My goal is to bring the right groups together so our work can create meaningful, inclusive solutions for real-world health problems.
What impact do you hope to have through your work – as Deputy Director of LIMS, and as a researcher?
As both a researcher and Deputy Director of LIMS, I want my work to genuinely improve the lives of patients and their families. I hope the solutions we create can help as many people as possible, not just a few. Most importantly, I want to make sure we always keep the human story at the centre of every scientific discovery we make.
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Professor Erinna Lee co-leads the LIMS Cancer Program with Associate Professor Lisa Mielke, is a member of the School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment (SABE), and is a visiting scientist at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI).
Professor Lee joins Distinguished Professors Stephanie Gras and Brian Abbey as a Deputy Director of LIMS.
Find out about her research:
