معرفی
Professor Ken Ong is Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge, jointly appointed in the Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine. He co-leads the Unit’s Early Life Aetiology and Mechanisms of Diabetes and Related Metabolic Disorders programme with Dr John Perry and serves as an honorary consultant paediatric endocrinologist and clinical lead for childhood obesity at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. He also chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s Subgroup on Maternal and Child Nutrition.
Education:
- PhD in Paediatrics, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford – investigating gene-environment interactions in fetal and early childhood growth using large population-based studies.
Research Interests:
Professor Ong’s overarching research addresses the early-life determinants of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders. His programme integrates epidemiology, genetics, physiology and public health to identify developmental trajectories that confer long-term disease risk. Key themes include:
- The role of rapid postnatal growth and weight gain in programming later metabolic disease.
- Genetic and environmental influences on puberty timing and their consequences for obesity, diabetes and psychosocial outcomes.
- Mechanistic pathways linking early growth, reproductive maturation and lifelong health, with a view to informing behavioural interventions that delay puberty and prevent childhood obesity.
Publication Trends:
Across >150 publications, Professor Ong’s recent work (2024-2025) demonstrates a strong focus on large-scale genetic discovery (GWAS, exome and whole-genome sequencing) for traits such as adiposity, puberty timing, birth weight, proteomic aging and diabetes risk. Methodologically, his team employs Mendelian randomization to infer causality, integrates multi-omics (genomics, epigenomics, metabolomics) and leverages population cohorts (UK Biobank, ALSPAC, TOPCHILD Collaboration). Comparative studies now extend to canine models to validate obesity genes across species, while intervention coding work within TOPCHILD seeks to distil effective behavioural components for obesity prevention in early childhood.
Scientific Awards & Recognition:
While specific named prizes are not listed in the text, Professor Ong’s sustained leadership of a major MRC programme, chairmanship of national SACN subgroups and honorary NHS consultant role collectively denote significant peer recognition.
Grants & Funding:
Professor Ong’s programme is core-funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) through the Early Life Aetiology and Mechanisms of Diabetes and Related Metabolic Disorders strategic award. Additional project grants arise from cross-disciplinary initiatives within Cambridge Reproduction and the Cambridge Metabolic Network.
Laboratory & Team:
He heads a multidisciplinary team located within the Institute of Metabolic Science on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, integrating bioinformaticians, geneticists, epidemiologists and clinical researchers. Active collaborations span the MRC Epidemiology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and international consortia.
