Brendon is originally from Dunedin, New Zealand where he received his BSc (Hons) in biochemistry at the University of Otago looking at the cold adaptation of a native New Zealand Beatle. He then moved to Canberra to take up his PhD at the Australian National University (ANU) where he studied a family of enzymes found in M. tuberculosis that uses a rare cofactor, looking at their function and their role in drug resistance. Brendon continued to work at ANU looking at drug mechanisms and the mechanism of drug resistance before working for a synthetic biology startup company that uses enzymes to degrade plastic. He then moved to New York to start at Weill Cornell Medicine where his work consists of finding the function of orphan enzymes that have roles in the transmission of tuberculosis. In his spare time, Brendon enjoys outdoor activities, playing touch rugby, and playing guitar.
Science Twitter Handle: @brendonmlee