Professor Ng (Fai) is the director of the NIHR Newcastle Clinical Research Facility.
He is a Professor of Rheumatology at Newcastle University, an Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the UK, and the deputy lead for the musculoskeletal theme of the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre.
Fai is a global leader in Sjögren’s syndrome and fatigue research. He has established the nationwide UK primary Sjögren’s syndrome registry (UKPSSR, www.sjogrensregisty.org), funded by the Medical Research Council in 2009. The UKPSSR remains one of the largest cohorts and biobanks of primary Sjögren’s syndrome patients in the world. To date, the UKPSSR has supported >50 national and international research projects including industry collaborations, led to >60 peer-reviewed publications, and leveraged an additional £50M in grant awards.
Fai’s current research focuses on personalised medicine and understanding the biological basis of fatigue including the use of sensor technology and medical device to gain deeper understanding of this complex, disabling symptom as well as biomarker discovery. He leads several large international and national research consortia including a €42 million EU Innovative Medicine Initiatives consortium – IDEA-FAST (www.idea-fast.eu).
Fai has won over £60m in research grant income in the past 5 years, published over 130 peer-reviewed articles, 7 book chapters, and edited a pocket book on Sjögren’s syndrome (Oxford University Press).
Fai works closely with biotechnology companies and pharmaceutical companies in the development of novel therapies for Sjögren’s syndrome, and served as chief investigator and principal investigator for many early phase clinical trials/experimental medicine studies in Sjögren’s syndrome.
He is a trustee of the British Sjögren’s Syndrome Association (www.bssa.uk.net), medical board member of Sjögren’s Europe (www.sjogreneurope.org), and Steering committee member of the Sjogren’s Foundation (US) Clinical Trial Consortium (www.sjogrens.org). Fai was the clinical lead for the Musculoskeletal Specialty Group of the Northumberland Tyne and Wear Comprehensive Local Research Network in 2012-2014, and played a major role in driving recruitment of patients into research studies in the region.
Fai completed his medical degree at Cambridge University, doctoral degree in Immunology at Imperial College London, and his rheumatology training in London.
