Dr Tham qualified from the Queen’s University of Belfast’s medical school. He trained as a gastroenterologist and physician in the Northern Ireland training program. He completed his training as an Advanced Gastroenterology Fellow in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 1995 – 6.

He has been Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist in the Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast since 1997. During this time, he has developed gastroenterology services in the Ulster Hospital, especially in therapeutic endoscopy and ERCP.

He has more than 90 publications in peer reviewed journals. He is the first author of a book entitled “Gastrointestinal Emergencies” which has been published as a 2nd edition and translated into Polish. He has contributed to several other book chapters. He is on the International Editorial Board of the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; Associate Editor of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy; Diagnostic and Therapeutic Endoscopy. He has received several awards for being a top reviewer for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He was awarded the President’s Medal from the British Society of Gastroenterology for services to clinical standards in the UK.

He is the President of the Ulster Society of Gastroenterology. He is the former President of the Irish Society of Gastroenterology. He is on the Governing Board of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Chair of the Curriculum Working Group. He was the Head of the School of Medicine, Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (deanery) for 6 years and is now Training Program Director for General Internal Medicine. He is the Vice Chair of the Specialist Advisory Committee for internal medicine at the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board. He was the Chair of the British Society of Gastroenterology committee on clinical services and standard. He was the Guidelines Editor for the gastroenterology journal Gut. He is an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and also Queen’s University.

He is the lead clinician for developing services for patients with gastrointestinal consequences of pelvic radiotherapy in N Ireland. He has contributed to the work of the N Ireland Inflammatory Bowel Disease interest group in increasing the number of inflammatory bowel disease specialist nurses. He is the lead clinician for the implementation of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Registry in N Ireland.