Research Unit
Bone cell biology & disease
Information
Research Officer
Professional Experience
2020 – present E.H. Flack Fellow, Bone Cell Biology and Disease,
St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research
2017 – 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Regenerative Medicine and
Skeletal Development, University of Connecticut
Health Center
2016 – 2017 Postdoctoral Associate, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases,
Washington University in St. Louis
2013 – 2016 PhD Bone Biology, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and
UNSW Australia (awarded 2017)
2009 – 2012 Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours in Physiology),
University of Sydney
Achievements
2020 E.H. Flack Fellowship
2020 SVI Rising Star Award
2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)
Young Investigator Travel Grant
2018 Travel grant to attend the Twelfth EFF/ASBMR Fellows Forum on
Metabolic Bone Diseases, Endocrine Fellows Foundation
2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)
Young Investigator Travel Grant
2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)
Young Investigator Travel Grant
2013 Australian Postgraduate Award, UNSW Australia
Research Interests
Defining cells and mechanisms that influence cortical bone strength
Lineage tracing of progenitor populations within bone
Neural innervation and regulation of the skeleton
Metabolic regulation of bone and energy homeostasis
Selected Publications
- Root SH*, Wee NKY*, Novak S, Rosen CJ, Baron R, Matthews BG, Kalajzic I. (2020) Perivascular osteoprogenitors are associated with transcortical channels of long bones. Stem Cells. 36(6):769-81. doi: 10.1002/stem.3159. *Co-first authors.
- Sinder BP, Novak S, Wee NK, Basile M, Maye P, Matthews BG and Kalajzic I. (2020) Transplantation of Bone Marrow Derived Stromal Cells Improves Osteogenesis Imperfecta Murine Bone Phenotype. Stem Cells. 38(4):530-41. doi: 10.1002/stem.3133
- Matthews BG, Wee NK, Widjaja WN, Price JS, Kalajzic I and Windahl SH. (2020) αSMA osteoprogenitor cells contribute to the increase in osteoblast number in response to loading. Calcified Tissue International. 106(2):208-217 doi: 10.1007/s00223-019-00624-y
- Wee NK, Lorenz ML, Bekirov Y, Jacquin MF and Scheller EL. (2019) Shared autonomic pathways connect bone marrow and peripheral adipose tissues across the central neuraxis. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 10: 668. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00668
- Wee NK, Sinder BP, Novak S, Wang X, Stoddard C, Matthews BG and Kalajzic I. (2019) Skeletal Phenotype of the Neuropeptide Y knockout mouse. Neuropeptides. 73: 78-88. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2018.11.009
- Craft CS, Wee NK and Scheller EL. (2018) Chapter 126: Adipocytes and Bone. In: Primer on the Metabolic Bone Diseases and Disorders of Mineral Metabolism. 9th eds. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. pp. 974-982. doi: 10.1002/9781119266594
- Wee NK, Enriquez R.F., Nguyen A.D., Horsnell H., Kulkarni R.N., Khor E.C., Herzog H. and Baldock P.A. (2018) Diet-induced obesity suppresses cortical bone accrual by a Neuropeptide Y dependent mechanism. International Journal of Obesity. 42(11):1925-1938. doi: 10.1038/s41366-018-0028-y
- Nguyen AD, Lee NJ, Wee NK, Zhang L, Enriquez RF, Khor EC, Nie T, Wu D, Sainsbury A, Baldock PA and Herzog H. (2018) Uncoupling protein-1 is protective of bone mass under mild cold stress conditions. Bone. pii: S8756-3282(15)00218-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2015.05.037
- Scheller EL, Khoury B, Moller KL, Wee NK, Khandaker S, Kozloff KM, Abrishami SH, Zamarron BF and Singer K. (2016) Changes in Skeletal Integrity and Marrow Adiposity during High-Fat Diet and after Weight Loss. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 7:102. doi:10.3389/fendo.2016.00102
- Wee NK, Kulkarni RN, Horsnell H and Baldock PA. (2016) The brain in bone and fuel metabolism. Bone. 82, 56-63 doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2015.10.020