Professor G. Neil Thomas BSc (Hons), MPhil, PhD

• PhD Medical Sciences 1999. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  Dissertation title: Anthropometric, biochemical and genetic factors associated with blood pressure.
• MPhil Pathological Sciences, 1995. Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  Dissertation title: Genotyping of the rotavirus outer capsid protein gene (VP7) by RT-PCR
• BSc (Hons) Applied Biology, 1989.  Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK 

Professor Thomas completed his PhD in the genetic epidemiology of hypertension at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics. He then took up an academic post in 2002 in the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology (later the School of Public Health) at the University of Hong Kong to help coordinate the initiation of the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

In the summer of 2007, he took up the post of Reader in Epidemiology, Public Health and Biostatistics, now the Institute of Applied Health Research, of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. In 2017, he was made Professor of Epidemiology and Research Methods.  He is the Co-Director of the MSc Health Research Methods programme.

Professor Thomas is also Regional Director of the NIHR Research Design Service West Midlands. 

• College Quality Assurance and Approval Committee
• Co-Director, Master of Health Research Methods (HRM) Programme
• Dissertation module coordinator; HRM and Public Health programmes

Teaching Programmes

• Public Health MPH/PG Diploma/PG Certificate
• Health Research Methods Masters/PG Diploma/PG Certificate
• MBChB Medicine and Surgery

Professor Thomas is interested in supervising doctoral research students in the following general areas:

• Determinants of cardiovascular disease, particularly atrial fibrillation,  morbidity and mortality.
• Approaches to attenuate cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors.

• Health consequences of air pollution.

If you are interesting in studying any of these subject areas please contact Professor Thomas on the contact details above or through FindAPhD.com.

Professor Thomas has successfully supervised 14 PhD/MD students, and is currently supervising 7.

Publications from students have included:

M Yuan, M Tan, D Moore, S Shen, X Qiu, GN Thomas, KK Cheng. Timing of cow's milk or cow's milk formula introduction to the infant diet and atopic risk in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2019 In press

TF Olufunlayo, AA Roberts, C MacArthur, GN Thomas, KA Odeyemi, M Price, K Jolly. Interventions to improve breastfeeding exclusivity in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Maternal & Child Nutrition 2019 In press 

N Ahmad, GN Thomas, P Gill, F Torella. The prevalence of major lower limb amputation in the diabetic and non-diabetic population of England 2003-2013. Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research. 13(5): 348-53; 2016.

C Stradling, GN Thomas*, K Hemming, G Frost, I Garcia-Perez, S Redwood, S Taheri. Randomised controlled pilot study to assess the feasibility of a Mediterranean Portfolio dietary intervention for cardiovascular risk reduction in HIV dyslipidaemia: a study protocol. BMJ Open. 6(2): e010821; 2016.

WB Leong, F Jadhakhan, S Taheri, YF Chen, P Adab, GN Thomas. The effect of obstructive sleep apnoea on diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetic Medicine. 33(2): 158-168; 2016. Citation impact factor: 3.115, ISI Endocrinology & Metabolism Rank 59/128

AC Jagielski, CQ Jiang, L Xu, S Taheri, WS Zhang, KK Cheng, TH Lam, GN Thomas*. Glycaemia is associated with cognitive impairment in older adults: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Age and Ageing. 44(1): 65-71; 2014.

Bό Hartaigh, JA Bosch, D Carroll, K Hemming, S Pilz, A Loerbroks, ME Kleber, TB Grammer, JE Fischer, BO Boehm, W März, GN Thomas*. Evidence of a synergistic association between heart rate, inflammation, and cardiovascular mortality in patients undergoing coronary angiography. European Heart Journal. 34(12):932-941; 2013.

T Arora, CQ Jiang, GN Thomas, KH Lam, WS Zhang, KK Cheng, TH Lam, S Taheri. Self-reported long total sleep duration is associated with the metabolic syndrome: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Diabetes Care. 34: 2317-2319; 2011

M Talaei, M Sadeghi, T Marshall, GN Thomas, P Kabiri, S Hoseini, N Sarrafzadegan. Impact of metabolic syndrome on ischemic heart disease - A prospective cohort study in an Iranian adult population: Isfahan Cohort Study. Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases. 22(5): 434-441; 2012

XQ Lao, CQ Jiang, WS Zhang, P Adab, TH Lam, KK Cheng, GN Thomas. Smoking, smoking cessation and inflammatory markers in older Chinese men: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Atherosclerosis. 203:304-310; 2009

HB Deng, DJ Macfarlane, GN Thomas*, XQ Lao, CQ Jiang, KK Cheng, TH Lam. Reliability and validity of the IPAQ-Chinese: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 40:303-307; 2008 

Research themes

Ageing, Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Epidemiology, Lifestyle, Public Health

Research activity

Professor Thomas' research is at the cutting edge of understanding cardiometabolic conditions that place a significant burden on healthcare services and society as a whole. This understanding is coupled with intervention studies that inform disease prevention and patient care.

There are two main components to his research: Firstly, epidemiological studies which are designed to investigate environmental (air pollution, temperature), lifestyle (diet, physical activity, sleep) and genetic factors contributing to cardiometabolic disease risk factors (Type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and dyslipidaemia) and associated morbidity (cardiovascular disease, eg atrial fibrillation, stroke) and mortality, and; secondly in the management and prevention of these conditions, using pharmacological agents and lifestyle/behavioural modifications. His contribution to the first component has resulted in greater appreciation of the pathogenesis of these diseases and has helped in development of more effective therapeutic interventions, which can be used intensively in those identified to be at greatest risk.  In this manner, the application of this scientific research has been directly used to alleviate morbidity and mortality in patients with these conditions and thus provide direct benefit.  Work related to the second component has led to a series of interventional studies targeting physical activity and diet and specific pharmacological agents in general populations and in specific patient groups to improve health indicators and reduce morbidity and mortality.

His work has been recognised as influential in healthcare as demonstrated by the publication in distinguished general medical journals such as the Lancet, Science and BMJ, as well as top specialist journals, including Eur Heart J, Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Stroke, and Diabetes Care.

Significant specific studies include:

NIHR Global Health Research Group on Atrial Fibrillation management(Co-PI)

Guangzhou Biobank Cohort study (http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/4/844.long) and CVD subcohort (Co-PI, https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2009.52)

30,000 subjects recruited over 3 phases to study the pathogenesis of chronic diseases. The first 6 year follow-up has now been completed with 18,000 revisiting the hospital and 2,400 deaths documented. Vital status has been determined in over 99%.

Elderly Health Centres Study

A prospective cohort of over 66,000 individuals, accounting for 9% of the 65 or older population from 18 Elderly Health Centres were established to deliver health examinations and primary care services for older adults in Hong Kong. Over 10,000 deaths have been documented (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27197138).

Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Study

A prospective cohort of 3,000 Chinese subjects for which 12 year follow-up data is now available (http://eje-online.org/cgi/content/full/155/4/623)

PolyIran study

A randomised controlled trial of 7,000 subjects to investigate the impact of a Polypill on primary and secondary cardiovascular events in Golestan, Iran (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2010.02412.x/abstract)