Staff Profile

Introduction:

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Older People and Frailty (OPF) Policy Research Unit (PRU), Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University. I am also an affiliate Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London. My current policy-focused work is devoted to understanding and contributing to healthy ageing and the care of older adults in the UK. Besides Newcastle University, I work in collaboration with academic and practitioner colleagues at The University of Manchester, the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Department of Health and Social Care, and arms-length bodies (e.g. NHS England and Improvement). Before joining NIHR OPF PRU, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow of Monash University and King’s College London working on a Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded multi-country multimorbidity project, followed by Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of the National University of Singapore. I received my PhD in Medicine from The University of Sydney, focused on a longitudinal research for improving a multidisciplinary publicly funded bariatric surgery service provided by three hospitals integrated with a range of adjunct treatments in highly complex adult patients with clinically severe obesity and multiple comorbidities in New South Wales, Australia. During my PhD, I also worked in several academic roles throughout my time at The University of Sydney and its affiliated hospital. The positions included Research Officer, Research Administrative Officer, Tutor in Diet and Nutrition for Health and Sport, and Clinical Trials Support Administration Assistant. 

Professional Memberships:

NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria (ARC NENC) Multimorbidity, Ageing and Frailty Theme

British Society of Gerontology 

Malaysian Society of Geriatric Medicine

Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society

International Health Literacy Association

Endocrine Society of Australia

Australia Diabetes Society

World Obesity Federation

Australian & New Zealand Obesity Society

Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society

Malaysian Diabetes Association

Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity

Nutrition Society of Malaysia 

Research Awards:

The University of Sydney Postgraduate Research Support Scheme 2020

The University of Sydney Charles Perkins Centre (CPC) Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) SEED Grant Award 2019       

The Boden Institute Travel Support Scheme (CPC, Sydney School of Medicine, The University of Sydney) 2018

The University of Sydney Postgraduate Research Support Scheme 2018

The University of Sydney Postgraduate Research Support Scheme 2017

Australian Commonwealth Government Research Training Program Scholarships 2017-2020

The University of Sydney’s Sancta Sophia College Entrance Scholarship 2017-2018

The University of Sydney’s Sancta Sophia College Bursary 2017-2018   

International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Travel Grant Award for World Diabetes Congress 2011

University Putra Malaysia Graduate Research Fellowship 2010-2011

Nutrition Society of Malaysia Travel Grant Award 2011

International Congress of Nutrition Travel Grant Award 2009

International Congress of Nutrition Distinguished Poster Presenter 2009

20^th Intervarsity Biochemistry Conference Best Poster Presenter Award 2009

Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia Scholarship 2009-2011

Languages:

English, Mandarin, Chinese Cantonese, and Malay

Research Interests:

Michelle is interested in and can help you with the research areas of healthy ageing, health services evaluation and implementation, multimorbidity, epidemiology, quantitative research methodologies, biostatistics, health policy development, systematic reviews, cardiovascular diseases, endocrinology, surgeries, obesity, metabolic diseases, nutrition and dietetics, clinical trials, mental disorders, osteoarthritis, and sleep-disordered breathing.

Selected Publications:

Michelle MC Tan, Graciela Muniz-Terrera, Matheus Ghossain Barbosa, Pedro José Moraes Rebello Pinho, Esubalew Assefa, Ana Ágata Mezzomo Keinert, Charlotte Hanlon, Barbara Barrett, Alexandru Dregan, Tin Tin Su, Devi Mohan, Cleusa Ferri, & Matthew Prina. 2023. Determinants of multimorbidity in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review of longitudinal studies and discovery of evidence gaps. Obesity Reviews, e13661.

Michelle MC Tan, Matthew Prina, Graciela Muniz-Terrera, Devi Mohan, Roshidi Ismail, Esubalew Assefa, Ana Ágata Mezzomo Keinert, Zaid Kassim, Pascale Allotey, Daniel Reidpath, & Tin Tin Su. 2022. Prevalence of and factors associated with multimorbidity in 18,101 adults in the South East Asia Community Observatory Health and Demographic Surveillance System: A population-based study of the MUTUAL consortium. BMJ Open. 12(12), e068172.

Michelle MC Tan, Jason Jin, Craig Taylor, Adrian Low, Philip Le Page, David Martin, Ang Li, David Joseph, & Nic Kormas. 2022. Long-term trajectories of weight and health outcomes following multidisciplinary publicly funded bariatric surgery in patients with clinically severe obesity (≥ 3 associated comorbidities): A nine-year prospective cohort study in Australia. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 11(15), 4466.

Atiah M Meli, Asma Ali, Abbe MM Jalil, Hayati M Yusof, & Michelle MC Tan. 2021. Effects of physical activity and micronutrients on cognitive performance in children aged 6 to 11 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicina. 58(1), 57.

Erica Bessell, Nicholas R Fuller, Tania P Markovic, Jessica Burk, Tegan Picone, Chelsea Hendy, Michelle MC Tan, & Ian D Caterson. 2019. Effects of alpha-cyclodextrin on cholesterol control and Compound K on glycaemic control in people with pre-diabetes: protocol for a Phase III randomised controlled trial. Clinical Obesity. e12324.

Michelle MC Tan, Ooi Chuan Ng, Teck Wee Wong, Hejar A Rahman, Joseph Anthony, & Harri Sintonen. 2014. The association of cardiovascular disease with impaired health-related quality of life among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Singapore Medical Journal. 55(4), 1-8.

Michelle MC Tan, Teck Wee Wong, Ooi Chuan Ng, Joseph Anthony, & Hejar A Rahman. 2014. Metabolic syndrome components and prevalence of cardiovascular disease among type 2 diabetic patients in Malaysia. The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 45(1), 226-235.

Michelle MC Tan, Teck Wee Wong, Joseph Anthony, Hejar A Rahman, & Ooi Chuan Ng. 2013. Predictors of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine & Public Health. 5(7), 492-506.

Michelle MC Tan, Ooi Chuan Ng, Teck Wee Wong, Joseph Anthony, & Hejar A Rahman. 2013. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among type 2 diabetic patients: A comparative study using NCEP ATP III, WHO, IDF and Harmonized definitions. Health. 5(10), 1689-1696.

Michelle MC Tan, Ooi Chuan Ng, Teck Wee Wong, Hejar A Rahman, & Joseph Anthony. 2014. Current clinical status and vascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. 4(15), 2896-2909.

Michelle MC Tan, Ooi Chuan Ng, Teck Wee Wong, Joseph Anthony, Hejar A Rahman, & Rushdan A Aziz. 2015. Dietary compliance, dietary supplementation and traditional remedy usage of type 2 diabetic patients with and without cardiovascular disease. Clinical Nutrition Research. 4(1), 18-31.

Michelle MC Tan, Ooi Chuan Ng, Paul RY Yap, Yan Pan, & Jin Yu Chieng. 2017. Colorectal cancer screening using immunochemical fecal occult blood test. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. 17(1), 33-37.