麻豆传媒

Education

2008-2011: Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Dietetics) (Honours 1), University of Sydney 

2015-2019: Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney 

Research interests

I am a research fellow at the in the Prevention, Early Intervention and Behaviour Change theme. Using a range of methodologies, I work with academic, policy and practitioner colleagues to evaluate the impact and implementation of real-world interventions, services, and policies designed to improve the health and care of people in the NENC region and across the UK. I have a dietetics background, and my main area of interest is in obesity prevention and management. I also have an interest in the intersection of obesity and climate change; specifically, how actions to address systemic causes of climate change (e.g., transforming food systems) can have health co-benefits (improved dietary health) and potentially reduce health inequalities.

As an animal lover, I am also doing some research on the human companion animal bond looking at pet policies in homelessness accommodation services.

Ongoing projects:

• Understanding the sponsorship activities associated with English Local Government. NIHR School for Public Health Research (Healthy People, Healthy Planet) (£215,185; June 2025). Co-investigator.
• Evaluation of South Tees NHS Trust implementation of the National Academy of Medicine gestational weight gain guidelines. NENC Integrated Care Board (£69,861; 02/2025). Co-Principal Investigator.

Selected previous projects (final outputs published or in preparation):

• SHIFT Sustainable and Healthy interventions for Food Transitions. Wellcome Trust. Collaborator.
• Exploring the implementation, impact and acceptability of Planet Friendly menus in 麻豆传媒 primary schools. UKRI AFN Network+ (£49,587; 01/2025). Principal Investigator.
• “My dog is my home”: Enhancing pet acceptance into homelessness accommodation services in the UK. Society for Companion Animal Studies (£10,000; 09/2024). Principal Investigator.
• A qualitative study of people’s experiences and needs after re-gaining weight and how current services address weight regain. NIHR Policy Research Programme (£399,999; March 2024). Co-Investigator.
• Evaluation of the Impact of Tier 3 services that meet NENC minimum standards targeting patients living in the 20% most deprived areas. NENC Integrated Care Board (£80,840; 05/2024). Principal Investigator.
• NIHR ARC National Priority in Prevention with Behavioural Risk Factors (09/2021; £398,557). Evaluation of the national rollout of the NHS Enhanced Service Incentive for weight management in primary care (extension project). Co-Investigator.
• Public Health Wales (£35,109; 12/22). Effectiveness and implementation of non-specialist interventions for weight management up to 5 years following pregnancy: a systematic review. Co-Principal Investigator.
• NIHR ARC National Priority in Prevention with Behavioural Risk Factors (09/2021; £299,987). A mixed-methods evaluation of cross-regional workplace health initiatives including a cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) of a behaviour change intervention. Co-Investigator.
• NIHR ARC National Priorities Health and Care Inequalities and Prevention with Behavioural Risk Factors - Researcher network funding call (£9794; 02/22). Factors perceived to influence the purchase of takeaway food amongst adults in the UK: a multimethod study. Co-Investigator.
• NIHR ARC Methodology internship fund (£6472; 08/2022-12/2022). An exploration of weight management information, experiences and perceptions using data from online forums and social media. Principal Investigator.
• North of England Commissioning Support (NECS) (£79,548; 01/2022). A 'deep dive' exploration of Tier 2 Local Authority weight management services from stakeholder and service user perspectives. Principal Investigator.
• NIHR ARC NENC Responsive Funding (01/2021; £32,099). Evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of an exercise and behaviour change intervention in socioeconomically deprived patients with peripheral arterial disease (the TEXT-PAD study). Co-Investigator.
• Public Health England (02/2021; £5,000). A mixed-methods study exploring enhanced takeaway services and eating out-of-home foods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal Investigator.

I supervise research projects for:

• Undergraduate students studying Food and Human Nutrition, Nutrition with Food Marketing, Sport and Exercise Science
• Postgraduate students studying Masters of Public Health
• PhD candidates conducting work in the areas of nutrition, public health and/or obesity

• Articles

  • Barrett S, Haffner SJP, McSweeney L, Rothwell C, Fong M, Jebb SA, Indulkar T, Taylor K, Adamson AJ, Heath L, Aveyard P. . BMC Public Health 2026, 26(1), 638.
  • Fong M, Sermin-Reed L, Forde H, Renzella J, Westcott R, Bernhardt F, Brady S, Rayner M, Bhatnagar P. Climate-friendly food advertising and procurement in English local authorities: a systematic scoping review of policy ambition. PLOS Climate 2026. In Press.
  • Madigan CD, Prentis J, Brady SM, Gaffney B, Kaner E, Kunonga E, Snowden C, Fong M. Prevalence of socioeconomic deprivation and risk factors in patients on the elective surgery waiting list in the North East and North Cumbria region of England: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2025.
  • Fong M, Kelly E, Gregory S, Talbot CV, Aquino MRJ. . BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2025, 25, 898.
  • McSweeney L, Rothwell C, Adamson A, Barrett S, Mathews C, Lloyd S, Fong M. . Clinical Obesity 2024, e12723.
  • Aquino MRJ, Brennan-Tovey K, Fong M, Wearn A, Bigirumurame T, Robinson T, Trevor M, Feeney J, Rutter A, Sharrock R, West J, Bridges S, Attwood AS, Jolly K, Damery S, Flanagan S, Armitage C, Russell S, Strong S, Ramsay SE, Kaner EFS. . BMJ Open 2024, 14(12), e089630.
  • Fong M, Kenny RPW, Thomson K, Jesurasa A, Lavans A, Patterson M, Sermin-Reed L, Nguyen G, Aquino MRJ, Cullen E, O'Keefe H, Moffat M, Heslehurst N. . Frontiers in Public Health 2024, 12, 1359680.
  • Patterson M, Sermin-Reed L, Prentis J, Radhakrishnan A, Kaner E, Nandhra S, Rowland M, Cucato G, Fong M. . JVS - Vascular Insights 2024, 3, 100175.
  • Fong M, McSweeney L, Adamson A, Mathews C, Lloyd S, Rothwell C. . Clinical Obesity 2024, 14(2), e12629.
  • Fong M, Scott S, Albani V, Brown H. . Nutrients 2023, 15(16), 3636.
  • Fong M, Kaner E, Rowland M, Graham HE, McEvoy L, Hallsworth K, Cucato G, Gibney C, Nedkova M, Prentis J, Madigan CD. . PLoS ONE 2023, 18(7), e0286757.
  • Cucato G, Snowden C, McCone E, Nesbitt C, Nandhra S, Fong M, Kaner E, Rowland M, Bhattarai N, Court P, Bell O, Saxton JM, Prentis J. . PLoS ONE 2022, 17(6), e0269999.
  • Fong M, Scott S, Albani V, Adamson A, Kaner E. . Nutrients 2021, 13(9), 2927.
  • Madigan CD, Fong M, Howick J, Kettle V, Rouse P, Hamilton L, Roberts N, Gomersall S, Daly A. . Obesity Reviews 2021, 22(10), e13304.
  • McMaster C, Fong M, Franklin J, Hart S. . Nutrition Reviews 2021, 79(8), 914–930.
  • Fong M, Li A, Hill AJ, Cunich M, Skilton MR, Madigan CD, Caterson ID. . Physiology and Behavior 2019, 207, 122-131.
  • Fong M, Li A, Hill AJ, Cunich M, Skilton MR, Madigan CD, Caterson ID. . Nutrients 2019, 11(3), 683.
  • Fong M, Caterson ID, Madigan C. . British Journal of Nutrition 2017, 118(8), 616-628.

• Book Chapter

  • Fuller NR, Fong M, Lau NS. . In: Gill T, ed. Managing and Preventing Obesity: Behavioural Factors and Dietary Interventions. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing, 2014.