Dr. Zoë Lees, PhD Metabolic Medicine

Dr. Zoë Lees

Medical Writer

BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD

Health Literacy
Science Communication

  • Specialism

    Medical Writing

  • Doctoral education

    University of Glasgow

  • Current focus

    Obesity and Metabolic Health

  • Years of scientific experience

    10

About

Dr. Zoë Lees is a medical writer at MedExpress specialising in obesity and health communication. She completed her PhD at the University of Glasgow, where she investigated adipose tissue (fat tissue) function in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Her work focuses on translating complex clinical evidence into clear, engaging and evidence-based health information for patients and the public. At MedExpress, Zoë contributes to clinical content, educational resources and media communications across areas including weight management, GLP-1 therapies and metabolic disease. Zoë is particularly interested in improving public understanding of obesity as a chronic condition and ensuring patients have access to accurate, accessible health information grounded in current scientific evidence.

Background and specialisms

  • University of Glasgow

    Metabolic Medicine (PhD)

  • University of Glasgow

    Diabetes (MSc)

  • University of Dundee

    Biomedical Science (BSc (Hons))

Zoe has experience in obesity and metabolic health, including diabetes, GLP-1 treatments and weight management. Her previous research focused on pregnancy-related metabolic conditions, including gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

Publications and contributions

  • Logie L, Lees Z, Allwood JW, McDougall G, Beall C, Rena G. Regulation of hepatic glucose production and AMPK by AICAR but not by metformin depends on drug uptake through the equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1). Diabetes Obes Metab. 2018 Dec;20(12):2748-2758. doi: 10.1111/dom.13455.
  • Trivett C, Lees ZJ, Freeman DJ. Adipose tissue function in healthy pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus and pre-eclampsia. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2021 Dec;75(12):1745-1756. doi: 10.1038/s41430-021-00948-9.
  • Naveed M, Perez C, Ahmad E, Russell L, Lees Z, Maybury C. GLP-1 medication and weight loss: Barriers and motivators among 1659 participants managed in a virtual setting. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025 Jul;27(7):3780-3788. doi: 10.1111/dom.16405.
  • Conference participation: Oral presentation, “Differences in Adipocyte Expandability and Function between Healthy Pregnancies, and Pregnancies Complicated by Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Pre-eclampsia”, American Diabetes Association 84th Scientific Sessions, Orlando, Florida USA.
  • Poster presentation, “Higher stromal vascular fraction TGFB1 transcription and adipocyte overexpression of COL4A1 may explain reduced capacity for adipocyte expansion in pre-eclampsia”, Physiology 2023, Harrogate, July 2023.
  • Poster presentation, “Expression of components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in adipose tissue in non-pregnant women and pregnant women with and without pre-eclampsia”, ISSHP 2022, Montpellier, August 2022.
  • Poster presentation, “Increased fibrosis in adipose tissue from women with pre-eclampsia is not associated with altered adipogenic potential in vitro”, The Adipocyte Across Biological Scales, Edinburgh, December 2021.

Articles