Professor KK Cheng FMedSci

• Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences, UK 2012
• FRCGP 2010
• FFPHM 1997
• PhD University of Cambridge 1997
• MBBS, The University of Hong Kong 1984
• BSc, The University of Hong Kong 1984

KK Cheng qualified in medicine at the University of Hong Kong. After completing training in Public Health Medicine and General Practice in Hong Kong, he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to undertake a PhD in cancer epidemiology at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Professor Nick Day. He joined the University of Birmingham in 1993 as a Senior Lecturer and was appointed Professor in 1995. From 2016 to 2023, he served as Director of the then Institute of Applied Health Research, now the Department of Applied Health Sciences.

His early research focused on cancer epidemiology, and later expanded to major long-term conditions, primary care, and wider questions in clinical research and public health. In recent years, in response to the growing challenges of population ageing, his work has increasingly focused on developing health and care systems that are fit for older people. With geriatric medicine and elderly care as major themes, his work addresses the needs of older adults across different clinical settings, including the management of long-term conditions, perioperative care, integrated care models, workforce development, and the strengthening of research systems. Across this work, he has maintained a strong interest in evidence-based medicine and clinical trials.

Over the past two decades, KK has also played an important role in advancing primary care in China. He helped found the Department of General Practice at Peking University Health Science Centre in 2011 and served as its first Head of Department, contributing to the development of general practice education, faculty training, and research capacity. More recently, he has been actively involved in promoting geriatric medicine, elderly care, and related health service and research system development in China.

He is Honorary Chief Clinical Scientist at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Honorary Professor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and Honorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong. KK was elected to Fellowship of Academy of Medical Sciences in 2012. He was bestowed the title of Honorary Citizen of Guangzhou Municipality in the same year for his contribution to public health research and primary care development.

In 2025, KK won The 125 Anniversary Award for Outstanding Contribution at the University. 

Teaching Programmes

• Public Health MPH/PGDip/PGCert
• Medicine and Surgery MBChB

KK supervises postgraduate research on health and care for ageing populations across the continuum of care for older people, from maintaining independence to complex care and end-of-life support. Working with partners in China, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, applications are welcomed from outstanding graduates, including those from China, who are committed to advancing practice, informing policy, and improving healthcare for ageing populations through research.

KK has supervised over 20 doctoral students at the University of Birmingham. Important examples of publications arising from their thesis include:

Li B, Pallan M, Liu WJ, Hemming K, Frew E, Lin R, Liu W, Martin J, Zanganeh M, Hurley K, Cheng KK, Adab P. The CHIRPY DRAGON intervention in preventing obesity in Chinese primary-school--aged children: A cluster-randomised controlled trial. PLoS Med. 2019 Nov 26;16(11):e1002971. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002971. (this was one of the largest trials on obesity prevention in children in China).

Yuan M, Lu M, Guo Y, Lam KBH, Lu J, He J, Shen S, Wei D, Thomas GN, Cheng KK, Qiu X; BIGCS Study Group. Timing of Infant Formula Introduction in Relation to Body Mass Index and Overweight at Ages 1 And 3 Years: the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS). Br J Nutr. 2022 Mar 10:1-29. doi: 10.1017/S000711452200071X. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35264258.
Yao M, Zhang DY, Fan JT, Lin K, Haroon S, Jackson D, Li H, Chen W, Cheng KK, Lehman R. The experiences of people with type 2 diabetes in communicating with general practitioners in China - a primary care focus group study. BMC Prim Care. 2022 Feb 3;23(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s12875-022-01632-y.

Jokhio AH, Winter HR, Cheng KK. An intervention involving traditional birth attendants and perinatal and maternal mortality in Pakistan. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2091-9. (This was one of the first research papers from Pakistan published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In helping to bring about a change of emphasis from a solely health centre one to multiple delivery approaches (i.e. in communities as well as health facilities), the findings have contributed towards the strategies towards two Millenium Development Goals.)

Yin P, Jiang CQ, Cheng KK, Lam TH, Lam KL, Miller MR, Zhang WS, Thomas NG, Adab P. Passive smoking exposure and risk of COPD among adults in China: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Lancet 2007; 370:751-7. (selected by the International Advisory Board of The Lancet as one of the research papers worldwide “that make the greatest potential contribution to clinical research” in 2007.)

Aveyard P, Cheng KK, Almond J, Sherratt E, Lancashire R, Lawrence T, Griffin C, Evans O. Cluster randomised controlled trial of expert system based on the transtheoretical (“stages of change”) model for smoking prevention and cessation in schools. British Medical Journal 1999; 319:948-53. (This was the first fast track article published by the British Medical Journal since its establishment in 1840. The paper has played a major role in the practice of smoking prevention in schools in this country and further afield.)

Geriatric medicine and elderly care; primary care; clinical research; evidence-based medicine; clinical trials.

KK is the Academic Lead of the University’s project to develop a centre in Guangzhou in collaboration with the Guangzhou Municipal Government.

He is also active in primary care in China. As the lead member on health on the British Government's China Task Force, he has developed collaboration between the UK China in primary care. He founded the Department of General Practice at Peking University Health Science Center in May 2011 and is Honorary Head and Professor.

KK is Honorary Consultant in Public Health Medicine, UK Health Security Agency. He also holds an Honorary Chair at the University of Hong Kong.