Centre for In Vivo Imaging

Staff Profiles

Professor Fai Ng

Professor of Rheumatology

Background

Qualifications

M.B., B.Chir., M.A. (University of Cambridge)

Ph.D. (Imperial College London)

FRCP (Royal College of Physician, London)

CCT in Rheumatology (PMETB)


 Role and Responsibilities

- Professor of Rheumatology, Newcastle University

- Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

- Director, NIHR Newcastle Clinical Research Facility

- Deputy Lead, Musculoskeletal Theme, NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre


Memberships

- Royal College of Physicians, London

- British Society for Rheumatology

- British Society for Immunology


Honours and Awards

- Michael Mason Prize, British Society for Rheumatology (2015)

- Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist (2006-11, not taken up)

- Runner-up, Young Investigator Award, Medical Research Society

- Runner-up, Barbara Ansell Prize, Royal Society of Medicine

- Medawar Medal Finalist, British Society for Transplantation

- Wellcome Trust Training Fellowship

 

External Roles

- Coordinator, IDEA-FAST Consortium (www.idea-fast.eu)

- Chief investigator, UK primary Sjogren's syndrome registry (UKPSSR) (www.sjogrensregistry.org)

- Chief Investigator, Stratification in Sjogren's syndrome (SiSS) consortium 

- Expert panel, European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjogren's Syndrome Study Group

- Clinical Lead, NIHR BioResource for Rare Diseases for Sjogren's syndrome

- Trustee and Medical Council, British Sjogren's Syndrome Association 

- Steering Committee, Sjogren's syndrome clinical trial consortium, Sjogren's syndrome Foundation (US)

- Executive Project Management Team, NECESSITY consortium (www.necessity-h2020.eu)

- Steering Committee, EULAR Best Practice in the Management of Sjogren's Syndrome Group 

- Founding Co-convenor, European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjogren's Syndrome Study Group

- College of Experts, Arthritis Research UK 

- Steering Committee, HarmonicSS Consortium

Research

Research Interests

Stratified/Personalised Medicine in Sjogren's Syndrome

Fatigue 

Novel endpoint development including digital endpoints

Biomarker discovery (including digital biomarkers)

Bio-resource

Novel non-pharmacological therapeutics


Expertise

Sjogren's syndrome, Fatigue, Digital Medicine, Stratified Medicine


Current Work

1. I have established and continue to develop and maintain a world-leading bioresource for Sjogren's syndrome research - the UK primary Sjogren's syndrome registry, the UKPSSR (www.sjogrensregistry.org) - to promote and facilitate high quality research for the global research community in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of Sjogren's syndrome

2. I run a multi-disciplinary research programme with the aim to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of fatigue and explore novel (including non-pharmacological) therapeutic strategies for this disabling symptom.

3. I lead a European consortium research programme to develop a stratified medicine approach to primary Sjogren's syndrome research and therapeutic development 

4. I am interested in novel endpoints development for disease assessment and therapeutic assessment (including the use of modern technologies such as wearables and other digital devices). Currently, I lead a €42 million European research programme to identify digital endpoints for fatigue, sleep disturbance and activities of daily living in neurodegenerative diseases and Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. (www.idea-fast.eu)



Funding

EU Innovative Medicine Initiatives

Medical Research Council

FOREUM (European)

EU Horizon 2020

National Institute of Health Research

Arthritis Research UK / Versus Arthritis

British Sjogren's Syndrome Association

JGW Patterson Foundation Trust

Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust


 

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

Musculoskeletal medicine - medical students

Sjogren's syndrome - Dental Students 

UG project students


Postgraduate Teaching

PG Cert/Dip/MRes in Clinical Research

- Co lead Module Designing a Research Proposal (MCR8013) 

Core Medical Trainees, NUTH 

Specialist trainees in Rheumatology

MRes/PhD/MD. supervisions

Publications