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, Professor Thomas 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 was Regional Director of the NIHR Research Design Service West Midlands for 12 years (2011-2024). 

In 2023, Professor Thomas became Director, NIHR Research Support Service Birmingham Hub and partners Keele, and Warwick and in 2024, Director, NIHR Research Support Service National Collaborative.

• College Quality Assurance and Approval Committee
• Co-Director, Master of Health Research Methods (HRM) Programme

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 cardiometabolic disease, particularly atrial fibrillation,  morbidity and mortality.
• Approaches to attenuate cardiometabolic disease and associated risk factors and improve care pathways for their management.
• 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 20 PhD/MD students, and is currently supervising 3.

Recent publications from students have included:

• Gooden TE, Wang J, Carvalho Goulart A, Varella AC, Tai M, Sheron VA, Wang H, Zhang H, Zhong J, Kumarendran B, Nirantharakumar K, Surenthirakumaran R, Bensenor IM, Guo Y, Lip GYH, Thomas GN, Manaseki-Holland S; NIHR Global Health Research Group on Atrial Fibrillation Management. Generalisability of and lessons learned from a mixed-methods study conducted in three low- and middle-income countries to identify care pathways for atrial fibrillation. Glob Health Action. 2023 Dec 31;16(1):2231763.
• Okoth K, Smith WP, Thomas GN, Nirantharakumar K, Adderley NJ. The association between menstrual cycle characteristics and cardiometabolic outcomes in later life: a retrospective matched cohort study of 704,743 women from the UK. BMC Med. 2023 Mar 20;21(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s12916-023-02794-x.
• Dickinson-Craig E, Bartington SE, Watts R, Mandakhbayar O, Khurelbaatar EO, Ochir C, Boldbaatar D, Warburton D, Thomas GN, Pope FD, Sereeter L, Manaseki-Holland S, Badarch J. Carbon monoxide levels in households using coal-briquette fuelled stoves exceed WHO air quality guidelines in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Int J Environ Health Res. 2022:1-12. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2123906. Online ahead of print.
• Gooden TE, Gardner M, Wang J, Chandan JS, Beane A, Haniffa R, Taylor S, Greenfield S, Manaseki-Holland S, Thomas GN, Nirantharakumar K. The risk of mental illness in people living with HIV in the UK: a propensity score-matched cohort study. Lancet HIV. 2022;9(3):e172-e181. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3018(21)00319-2. Gooden TE, Chandan JS, Taylor S, Nirantharakumar K, Thomas GN. Mental health needs of adolescents with HIV in Africa - Authors' reply. Lancet HIV. 2022 Jun;9(6):e376-e377.
• Woolley KE, Dickinson-Craig E, Lawson HL, Sheikh J, Day R, Pope FD, Greenfield SM, Bartington SE, Warburton D, Manaseki-Holland S, Price MJ, Moore DJ, Thomas GN. Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution from solid biomass fuels and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Indoor Air. 2022;32(1):e12958. doi: 10.1111/ina.12958.

Research interests

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 three 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 (Type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension and dyslipidaemia) and associated morbidity and mortality, and; secondly in the treatment and prevention of these conditions, using pharmacological agents and lifestyle/behavioural modifications; thirdly better understanding and redesigning/optimising care pathways to improve patient care including with digital technologies. 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. The third package has led to service changes and is introducing/adapting digital technologies to optimise patient management.

Research themes

Ageing, Care pathways, Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Epidemiology, Lifestyle, Patient management, Public health.