Sydney Tang 鄧智偉

  • Senior Medical Research Fellowship in 2019 at University of Hong Kong
  • Fellowship in 1996 at Guy's Hospital, United Kingdom

Professor Sydney Tang is known for his contributions to both clinical and basic sciences in the field of nephrology, the study of kidney diseases or nephropathies. His major basic science research interests are to elucidate pathogenetic mechanisms and unravel novel treatment targets in chronic progressive proteinuric and diabetic nephropathies, which are the leading causes of kidney kidney in most developed countries worldwide. Through his pioneering work in cell biology, he has dissected some of the most important intracellular pathways through which excessive albumin, high glucose and glycated proteins can induce toxicity to the kidney tubule cells, the very cell type in the kidney that determines ultimate clinical outcomes in patients with nephropathies. His group is among the first to report the role of Toll-like receptor 4 and innate immunity in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. In the field of clinical science, he is among the first to promote the use of mycophenolate mofetil in the treatment of IgA nephropathy, the most common form of primary glomerular disease in the kidney, among Chinese patients. He is currently President of the Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology (2022-2024) and an Executive Committee Member of the KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes), the global organisation developing and implementing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in kidney disease. At the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), he serves as Chair of the CME Program Committee (2022-2024) and various other committees. At the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD), he serves the Publication Committee. Locally, he is a Council Member of the Hong Kong College of Physicians, where he also serves as Secretary and Program Director (Hong Kong Island) of the Specialty Board of Nephrology, and a past Chairman of the Hong Kong Society of Nephrology (2016-2018).