Overview
Background
Dr Monica Ng is a staff specialist nephrologist and clinician scientist at Metro North Kidney Health Service where she leads the Research Portfolio, Translational Kidney Pathobiology Group and Clinical Trials Unit. Her other appointments includes Clinician Scientist at the Cardiac Drug Discovery laboratory and, Senior Lecturer and Clinical Theme Co-lead of Centre for Cardiovascular Health and Research at University of Queensland. Dr Ng's research seeks to improve information available for patient counselling, evaluate druggable targets for kidney disease and apply current-edge technologies (e.g. spatial transcriptomics, nanoparticle flow cytometry) for biomarker discovery in nephrology. These goals are achieved using a range of methodologies including registry data analysis, data linkage, extracellular vesicle analysis and cell culture, and clinical trial techniques.
Dr Ng contributes expertise to national and international steering committees as: Deputy Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology Education and Training Committee, Asia-Pacific Co-Chair of the International Society of Extracellular Vesicles’ Genitourinary Special Interest Group, Member of Australasian Kidney Trials Network Chronic Kidney Disease-Glomerular Disease Working Group and Member of American Society of Nephrology's Editorial Board.
Availability
- Dr Monica Ng is:
- Available for supervision
Research interests
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Extracellular vesicles as biomarkers of kidney disease
Multi-omics assessment of extracellular vesicles from bio-fluids (e.g. blood, urine) as biomarkers for kidney disease.
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Pathobiology of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome
Uncovering cardiac-kidney signaling mechanisms involved in the CKM syndrome.
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Care after kidney transplant failure
Analyzing large data to determine optimal immunosuppressive regimens after graft failure.
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Kidney disease epidemiology
Evaluating data from kidney failure registries and administrative databases to uncover risk factors for kidney disease incidence and outcomes. Assessing healthcare utilisation of people with kidney disease.
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Novel therapies for kidney disease
Evaluating novel kidney disease therapies in clinical trials.
Research impacts
Dr Ng's scientific contributions have improved information for patient counselling, discovered druggable targets and developed cutting-edge technologies (e.g. spatial transcriptomics, nanoparticle flow cytometry) for biomarker discovery in nephrology. She led the most comprehensive review of national and international kidney failure registries, providing granular variable-level information for health information system and inter-registry data planning (Kidney International, 3/91 nephrology journals). Dr Ng has demonstrated key signaling pathways perpetuating kidney injury, leading to highly cited publications (e.g. Redox Biology 2024; 70:103042 [citations 97th percentile], Cell Death & Disease 2022;13(8):739 [citations 91st percentile]). Her work developing extracellular vesicles into minimally-invasive tests for chronic kidney disease was presented in Discovery and Translational Award session at 2025 Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology Congress and published in Journal of Extracellular Vesicles (13/285 cell biology journals). Dr Ng is a Principal Investigator on numerous multi-centre clinical trials and an internationally-recognized expert on kidney disease management with invited publications in Nature Nephrology Reviews x2 and Kidney International x1; and invited presentations at international conferences (e.g. American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2025, International Society of Extracellular Vesicles Genitourinary System Extracellular Vesicles Special Interest Group Education Day 2024). Dr Ng's current research focuses on the interface between clinical and laboratory spheres to enable deep clinical, bimolecular and functional characterization of kidney disease for the discovery of novel biomarkers and druggable targets.
Works
Search Professor Monica Ng’s works on UQ eSpace
2018
Journal Article
CFHR5 nephropathy in a Greek-Cypriot Australian family: ancestry-informed precision medicine
Ng, Monica S. Y., McClymont, Kelly, McCallum, Naomi, Dua, Rahul, Holman, Katherine, Bennetts, Bruce, Ho, Gladys, Patel, Chirag and Mallett, Andrew J. (2018). CFHR5 nephropathy in a Greek-Cypriot Australian family: ancestry-informed precision medicine. Kidney International Reports, 3 (5), 1222-1228. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2018.04.007
2018
Conference Publication
Validation of a web-based clinical decision support system to predict end-stage kidney disease in an Australian immunoglobin a nephropathy cohort
Ng, M. S., Harfield, M., Francis, L. and Mallett, A. J. (2018). Validation of a web-based clinical decision support system to predict end-stage kidney disease in an Australian immunoglobin a nephropathy cohort. 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN), Sydney, NSW, Australia, 8–12 September 2018. Richmond, VIC, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.
2018
Journal Article
Transfusion of packed red blood cells at the end of shelf life is associated with increased risk of mortality - a pooled patient data analysis of 16 observational trials
Ng, Monica S. Y., David, Michael, Middelburg, Rutger A., Ng, Angela S. Y., Suen, Jacky Y., Tung, John-Paul and Fraser, John F. (2018). Transfusion of packed red blood cells at the end of shelf life is associated with increased risk of mortality - a pooled patient data analysis of 16 observational trials. Haematologica, 103 (9), haematol.2018.191932-1548. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2018.191932
2018
Journal Article
Platelet storage lesions: what more do we know now?
Ng, Monica Suet Ying, Tung, John-Paul and Fraser, John Francis (2018). Platelet storage lesions: what more do we know now?. Transfusion Medicine Reviews, 32 (3), 144-154. doi: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2018.04.001
2018
Conference Publication
Micro proteomic profiling in the diagnosis of kidney disease
Raghubar, A., Wang, X., Kassianos, A. J., Ng, M. S., Dave, K. A., Norris, E., Headlam, M. J., Healy, H. G. and Mallett, A. J. (2018). Micro proteomic profiling in the diagnosis of kidney disease. 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN), Sydney, Australia, 8–12 September 2018. Richmond, VIC, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia. doi: 10.1111/nep.13441
2015
Journal Article
Effects of packed red blood cell storage duration on post-transfusion clinical outcomes: a meta-analysis and systematic review
Ng, Monica Suet Ying, Ng, Angela Suet Yeung, Chan, Jessica, Tung, John-Paul and Fraser, John Francis (2015). Effects of packed red blood cell storage duration on post-transfusion clinical outcomes: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Intensive Care Medicine, 41 (12), 2087-2097. doi: 10.1007/s00134-015-4078-5
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Monica Ng is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Available projects
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Hidden costs of kidney disease
Characterising and quantifying impact of kidney disease on quality of life
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Urine extracellular vesicles as novel biomarkers for kidney health and disease
Wet laboratory and bioinformatics projects available. Multi-omics approaches with proteomics and RNA sequencing to identify novel biomarkers associating with kidney disease outcomes.
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Role of extracellular vesicles in kidney disease
Wet laboratory study using cellular models of kidney disease to study role of extracellular vesicle cargoes in kidney injury.
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Novel biomarkers for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease
Multi-omics analysis to identify molecular markers for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease ontology and outcomes.
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Data yield from kidney biopsy
Data analysis project evaluating data from kidney biopsies and clinical outcomes
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Leveraging complex cellular models and extracellular vesicles to reveal novel druggable targets in polycystic kidney disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Andrew Kassianos
Media
Enquiries
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