• Diabetes
• Diabetes complications
• Gestational diabetes
• Molecular genetics of diabetes and metabolic diseases
• Precision medicine in diabetes
• Polycystic ovary syndrome

Ronald Ma’s research focuses on resolving the heterogeneity of diabetes to advance precision medicine in diabetes. His team applies different omics technologies to identify novel genetic, epigenetic and proteomic biomarkers associated with diabetes and its complications, and translational work to improve diabetes prevention, diagnosis and treatment. His group has identified a number of genetic factors associated with diabetes and related outcomes in Asian populations, and developed tools for clinical use. The team has also investigated the metabolic consequences and long-term outcome in mothers and children with gestational diabetes and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), including identifying molecular biomarkers linked to the intergenerational metabolic risk.

Diabetes, gestational diabetes, diabetes epidemiology, genetics, genetic epidemiology, polygenic risk score, genomics, biomarker discovery, precision medicine, translational research

Epidemiology of diabetes and obesity

• Novel risk factors for diabetes and diabetes-related co-morbidities, diabetes in Asians, early development influence on diabetes and obesity

Genetics of diabetes and diabetic complications

• Novel genetic variants for diabetes and diabetic complications, risk prediction, precision medicine in diabetes, epigenetics and proteomics in diabetes

Gestational diabetes and intra-uterine programming, epigenetics

• Gestational diabetes and maternal environment on risk of diabetes and obesity in the offspring, mechanism of transgenerational diabetes

Polycystic ovary syndrome

• Epidemiology, epigenetic factors, diagnosis and treatment

Ronald Ma completed his medical training at the University of Cambridge, UK and trained in Internal Medicine in London. After completing his endocrinology fellowship training in Hong Kong, he completed a research fellowship at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, focusing on molecular biology of diabetic complications.

Ronald’s current research focuses on the epidemiology and genetics of diabetes and its complications, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, and precision medicine in diabetes. He is currently leading a multi-disciplinary project team to leverage on the large Hong Kong Diabetes Register and accompanying biobank to identify novel molecular markers for diabetic complications, and is the Principal Investigator of the Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank. His laboratory is also undertaking multi-omics studies in GDM. He has published over 500 research articles in international peer-reviewed journals including Nature, Nature Genetics, The Lancet, JAMA, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, Diabetes Care and Kidney International, and authored 15 book chapters.

Ronald is a Past President of the International Diabetes Epidemiology Group (IDEG), a Past President of Diabetes Hongkong and the Hong Kong Society of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Reproduction (HKSEMR), a member of the Executive Board, the Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and a Council Member of the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). He has served on the World Health Organization Working Group on Science and Evidence to End Childhood Obesity (ECHO), and is a member of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Pregnancy and NCD Committee. He is a past editor of Diabetic Medicine, editorial board member of PLoS Medicine, Obesity Reviews, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, and Journal of Diabetes Investigation.

1. Silver Medal, 49th International Exhibition of Inventions, Geneva (2024)
2. The Xiaoren Pan Distinguished Research Award for Epidemiology of Diabetes in Asia, the Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) (2020)
3. Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowship, Croucher Foundation (2019)
4. Distinguished Young Fellow, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (2016)
5. Sir David Todd Lectureship, Hong Kong College of Physicians (2015)
6. Outstanding Fellow of the Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2014)
7. The Richard Yu Lectureship, Hong Kong College of Physicians (2013)
8. Research Excellence Award, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2011)
9. The Albert Renold Fellowship, European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) (2010)
10. Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award, Junior Chamber International Hong Kong (2009)

1. Deng Y, Wu H, Ng NY, Tam CH, Tsang AY, Chan MH, Lo KK, Wang CC, Tam WH, Ma RC. Association of maternal glycaemia in pregnancy with offspring’s metabolism and adiposity: An 18-year birth cohort study. Diabetologia. 2025;68(10):2205-2216. doi:10.1007/s00125-025-06476-6.
2. Assaf J, Khurana I, Abou Zaki R, Tam CHT, Correa I, Maxwell S, Kinnberg J, Christiansen M, Frørup C, Lee HM, Kaipananickal H, Okabe J, Marikar SN, Wong KK, Lim CKP, Yuen LY, Yang X, Wang CC, Chan JCN, Yip KYL, Lowe WL Jr, Tam WH, Ma RCW, El-Osta A. DNA methylation biomarkers predict offspring metabolic risk from mothers with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. Diabetes. 2025;74(9):1695-1707. doi:10.2337/db25-0105.­
3. Yu G, Tam CHT, Lim CKP, Shi M, Lau ESH, Ozaki R, Lee HM, Ng ACW, Hou Y, Fan B, Huang C, Wu H, Yang A, Cheung HM, Lee KF, Siu SC, Hui G, Tsang CC, Lau KP, Leung JYY, Cheung EYN, Tsang MW, Kam G, Lau IT, Li JKY, Yeung VTF, Lau E, Lo S, Fung S, Cheng YL, Szeto CC, Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank Study Group, Chow E, Kong APS, Tam WH, Luk AOY, Weedon MN, So WY, Chan JCN, Oram RA, Ma RCW, TRANSCEND Consortium. Type 2 diabetes pathway-specific polygenic risk scores elucidate heterogeneity in clinical presentation, disease progression and diabetic complications in 18,217 Chinese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2024. doi:10.1007/s00125-024-06309-y.
4. Ma RCW, Tam CHT, Hou Y, Lau ESH, Ozaki R, Lui JNM, Chow E, Kong APS, Huang C, Ng ACW, Fung EG, Luk AOY, So WY, Lim CKP, Chan JCN, Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank Study Group. NT-proBNP improves prediction of cardiorenal complications in type 2 diabetes: The Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank. Diabetologia. 2024. doi:10.1007/s00125-024-06299-x.
5. Leslie RD, Ma RCW, Franks PW, Nadeau KJ, Pearson ER, Redondo MJ. Understanding diabetes heterogeneity: Key steps towards precision medicine in diabetes. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2023;11(11):848-860. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00159-6.
6. Li KY, Tam CHT, Liu H, Day S, Lim CKP, So WY, Huang C, Jiang G, Shi M, Lee HM, TRANSCEND Consortium, Lan HY, Szeto CC, Hanson RL, Nelson RG, Susztak K, Chan JCN, Yip KY, Ma RCW. DNA methylation markers for kidney function and progression of diabetic kidney disease. Nature Communication. 2023;14(1):2543. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-37837-7.
7. Harding JL, Wander PL, Zhang X, Li X, Karuranga S, Chen H, Sun H, Xie Y, Oram RA, Magliano DJ, Zhou Z, Jenkins AJ, Ma RC. The incidence of adult-onset type 1 diabetes: a systematic review from 32 countries and regions. Diabetes Care. 2022;45:1-13. doi:10.2337/dc21-1752.
8. Cheng F, Luk AO, Shi M, Huang C, Jiang G, Yang A, Wu H, Lim CK, Tam CH, Fan B, Lau ES, Ng AC, Wong KK, Carroll L, Lee HM, Kong AP, Keech AC, Chow E, Joglekar M, Tsui SK, So WY, So HC, Hardikar AA, Jenkins AJ, Chan JC, Ma RC. Shortened leukocyte telomere length is associated with glycaemic progression in type 2 diabetes: A prospective and Mendelian randomization analysis. Diabetes Care. 2022. doi:10.2337/dc21-1609.
9. Jin Q, Luk AO, Lau ES, Tam CHT, Ozaki R, Lim CKP, Wu H, Jiang G, Chow EYK, Ng JK, Kong APS, Fan B, Lee KF, Siu SC, Hui G, Tsang CC, Lau KP, Leung JY, Tsang MW, Kam G, Lau IT, Li JK, Yeung VT, Lau E, Lo S, Fung S, Cheng YL, Chow CC, Huang Y, Lan HY, Szeto CC, So WY, Chan JCN, Ma RCW, Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank Study Group. Nonalbuminuric diabetic kidney disease and risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in type 2 diabetes: Findings from the Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2022. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2021.11.011.
10. Zhang X, Wu H, Fan B, Shi M, Lau ESH, Yang A, Chow E, Kong APS, Chan JCN, Ma RCW, Luk AOY. Lifetime risk of developing diabetes in Chinese people with normoglycaemia or prediabetes: a modeling study. PLOS Medicine. 2022;19(7):e1004045. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004045.
11. Jiang G, Luk AO, Tam CH, Lau ES, Ozaki R, Chow EYK, Kong AP, Lim CK, Lee KF, Siu SC, Lui G, Tsang CC, Lau KP, Leung JYY, Tsang MW, Kam G, Lau IT, Li JK, Yeung VT, Lau E, Lo S, Fung SKS, Cheng YL, Chow CC, Pearson ER, So WY, Chan JCN, Ma RC, Hong Kong Diabetes Register TRS Study Group, Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank Study Group. Obesity, clinical, and genetic predictors for glycaemic progression in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: A cohort study using the Hong Kong Diabetes Register and Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank. PLOS Medicine. 2020;17(7):e1003209. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003209.
12. Ng NY, Jiang G, Cheung LP, Zhang Y, Tam CH, Luk AO, Quan J, Lau ES, Yau TT, Chan HM, Ho CS, Lim CK, Ozaki R, Huang J, Liu KH, Tam WH, Sahota DS, Chu WC, Goggins W, Woo J, Li TC, Chow CC, Chan JC, Ma RC. Progression of glucose intolerance and cardiometabolic risk factors over a decade in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A case-control study. PLOS Medicine. 2019;16(10):e1002953. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002953.
13. Jiang G, Luk AO, Tam CH, Xie F, Carstensen B, Lau ES, Lim CK, Lee HM, Ng AC, Ng MC, Ozaki R, Kong AP, Chow CC, Yang X, Hong Kong Diabetes Register TRS Study Group, Lan HY, Tsui SK, Fan X, Szeto CC, So WY, Chan JC, Ma RC. Progression of diabetic kidney disease and renal function decline in Chinese with type 2 diabetes. Kidney International. 2018. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2018.08.026.
14. Ma RC. Epidemiology of diabetes and diabetic complications in China. Diabetologia. 2018. doi:10.1007/s00125-018-4557-7.
15. Tam WH, Ma RC, Ozaki R, Li AM, Chan MHM, Yuen LY, Lao TT, Yang X, Ho CS, Tutino GE, Chan JC. In utero exposure to maternal hyperglycaemia increases children’s cardiometabolic risk. Diabetes Care. 2017;40(5):679-686. doi:10.2337/dc16-2397.
16. Ma RC, Hu C, Tam CH, Zhang R, Kwan P, Leung TF, Thomas GN, Go MJ, Hara K, Sim X, Ho JS, Wang C, Li H, Lu L, Wang Y, Li JW, Wang Y, Lam VK, Wang J, Yu W, Kim YJ, Ng DP, Fujita H, Panoutsopoulou K, Day-Williams AG, Lee HM, Ng AC, Fang YJ, Kong AP, Jiang F, Ma X, Hou X, Tang S, Lu J, Yamauchi T, Tsui SK, Woo J, Leung PC, Zhang X, Tang NL, Sy HY, Liu J, Wong TY, Lee JY, Maeda S, Xu G, Cherny SS, Chan TF, Ng MC, Xiang K, Morris AP, DIAGRAM Consortium, Keildson S, The MuTHER Consortium, Hu R, Ji L, Lin X, Cho YS, Kadowaki T, Tai ES, Zeggini E, McCarthy MI, Hon KL, Baum L, Tomlinson BT, So WY, Bao Y, Chan JC, Jia W. Genome-wide association study in a Chinese population identifies a susceptibility locus for type 2 diabetes at 7q32 near PAX4. Diabetologia. 2013;56(6):1291-1305. doi:10.1007/s00125-013-2874-4.
17. Ma RC, Tam CH, Wang Y, Luk AO, Hu C, Yang X, Lam V, Chan AW, Ho JS, Chow CC, Tong PC, Jia W, Ng MC, So WY, Chan JC. Genetic variants of the protein kinase C-β1 gene and development of end-stage renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. JAMA. 2010;304(8):881-889. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1191.
18. Cho YS, Chen C, Hu C, Long J, Ong RT, Sim X, Takeuchi F, Go MJ, Yamauchi T, Chang YC, Kwak SH, Ma RC, Yamamoto K, Adair LS, Aung T, Cai Q, Chang LC, Chen YT, Gao Y, Hu FB, Kim HL, Kim S, Kim YJ, Lee JJ, Lee NR, Li Y, Liu JJ, Lu W, Nakamura J, Nakashima E, Ng DP, Tay WT, Tsai FJ, Wong TY, Yokota M, Zheng W, Zhang R, Wang C, So WY, Ohnaka K, Ikegami H, Hara K, Cho YM, Cho NH, Chang TJ, Bao Y, Hedman AK, Morris AP, McCarthy MI, DIAGRAM Consortium, MuTHER Consortium, Takayanagi R, Park KS, Jia WP, Chuang LM, Chan JC, Maeda S, Kadowaki T, Lee JY, Wu JY, Teo YY, Tai ES, Shu XO, Mohlke KL, Kato N, Han BG, Seielstad M. Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies 8 new loci for type 2 diabetes in East Asians. Nature Genetics. 2012;44(1):67-72. doi:10.1038/ng.1019.
19. Tam WH, Ma RC, Yang X, Li A, Kong AP, Ko GT, Lao T, Chan MH, Lam C, Chan JC. Glucose intolerance and cardiometabolic risk in adolescents exposed to maternal gestational diabetes: A 15-year follow-up study. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(6):1382-1384. doi:10.2337/dc09-2343.
20. Ma RC, So WY, Yang XL, Yu LW, Kong AP, Ko GT, Chow CC, Cockram CS, Chan JC, Tong PC. Erectile dysfunction predicts coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2008;51(21):2045-2050. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2008.02.051.