I am an early-career researcher specialising in metabolism, obesity, and the neuroendocrine pathways that govern energy homeostasis. My work investigates the neural and molecular processes underlying energy balance and metabolic dysfunction, with a particular focus on kinase signalling networks and their potential as therapeutic targets for obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

During my PhD, I investigated the role of Salt-Inducible Kinase 3 (SIK3) in hypothalamic control of metabolism and identified SIK3 as a key regulator of appetite, energy expenditure, and systemic metabolic homeostasis. Using multidisciplinary approaches including genetically engineered mouse models, pharmacological interventions, metabolic phenotyping, and molecular signalling analyses, I uncovered novel mechanisms linking neuronal SIK3 signalling to obesity and metabolic dysfunction. My work spans both fundamental discovery and translational research, including the preclinical evaluation of small-molecule SIK inhibitors as potential therapies for obesity and diabetes.

Key achievements

2021-2025: University of Melbourne Research Scholarship

2021-2025: University of Melbourne Research Training Program Scholarship (Fee offset)

2021-2025: SVI Foundation PhD top up scholarship

2025: Hypothalamic Neuroscience and Neuroendocrinology Australia conference Student Speaker Award

2024: Harold Mitchell Foundation Travel Award

2024: UniSuper Super Student Award

2024: Director’s Presentation Award: Most-outstanding final PhD presentation

Diabetes & Metabolic Disease

We aim to identify and develop novel therapeutic target for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Lab head: Dr Kim Loh

View lab profile

Selected publications

Onda DA, Yang CH, Goldsmith C, Beddows CA, Teo RQ, Zhang L, Yuan X, Zhu Y, Lee MK, Ovens AJ, Yu D. Targeting hypothalamic SIK3 to promote weight loss and improve glycemic control in mice. Nature Communications. 2026 Jun 2.
Lee MK, Cooney OD, Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Lin X, Onda DA, Galic S, Kemp BE, Murphy AJ, Loh K. Metformin suppresses atherosclerosis by dampening extramedullary myelopoiesis. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2025 Sep.

Onda DA, Zhu Y, Yuan X, Loh K. Central and Peripheral Roles of Salt-inducible Kinases in Metabolic Regulation. Endocrinology. 2025 Mar.

Lee MK, Cooney OD, Lin X, Nadarajah S, Dragoljevic D, Huynh K, Onda DA, Galic S, Meikle PJ, Edlund T, Fullerton MD. Defective AMPK regulation of cholesterol metabolism accelerates atherosclerosis by promoting HSPC mobilization and myelopoiesis. Molecular Metabolism. 2022 Jul.

Yang CH, Onda DA, Lin X, Fynch S, Nadarajah S, Pappas EG, Liu X, Scott JW, Oakhill JS, Galic S, Shi Y. Neuropeptide Y1 receptor antagonism protects β-cells and improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Molecular Metabolism. 2022 Jan.

Yang CH, Onda DA, Oakhill JS, Scott JW, Galic S, Loh K. Regulation of Pancreatic β-cell Function by the NPY System. Endocrinology. 2021 Aug.

ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5911-9618

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