Professor Lees is Consultant Plastic Surgeon with NHS practice based at Manchester University Foundation Hospitals Trust. special interests in Hand & Wrist surgery and Cosmetic Surgery. Notably,

Professor Lees has skills in the practice of cosmetic surgery and for many years served as a Council member for the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, representing BAAPS on the charitable Healing Foundation promoting research into relevant areas of aesthetic research. Recent projects have included looking at the characterization of stem cells in fat graft (funded by BAAPS/Healing Foundation grant). In addition, she runs the north west aesthetic training rotation. She acts as trainer in aesthetic surgery for the north west plastic surgery programme. Importantly, she holds RCSEng Certification in Cosmetic Surgery and is the College lead for that programme nationally.

Professor Lees is also known for her expertise in hand, wrist and upper limb surgery. She undertook a year's Fellowship at the Kleinert Institute, Louisville, USA, one of the most prestigious units for hand surgery in the world. She was formerly Chair of Education & Training for, and Council Member of, the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH). She has taken a lead role in development of the Postgraduate Diploma in Hand Surge & Master in Hand Surgery that has provided a new paradigm in higher specialist training for hand surgeons.

She also works closely with Breast Surgery colleagues providing a multidisciplinary service for developmental breast disorders including asymmetry, tubular breasts and Poland's syndrome.

Professor Lees is a current elected RCSEng Council Member and past Chair of the Specialist Advisory Committee (SAC) in Plastic Surgery responsible for plastic surgery training in the UK and Republic of Ireland and led the development of hte plastic surgery curriculum. She is previous Council Member of British Association of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) and Examiner for FRCS(Plast).

Professor Lees has special interest in making clinical surgery as safe as possible and is engaged with the SAFE OR project globally and in the UK.