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Matthew Ong is a public health professional trained in epidemiology, health policy, and strategic communications.
Currently, Matthew is Director of the Office of Cancer Health Policy and Education at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he leads policy development and strategy. He works with Massey Director Dr. Robert Winn to establish a novel hybrid model for policy research, education, and coalition building in academic oncology—focused on achieving sustainable solutions for reducing cancer disparities and the cancer burden across local, state, and national levels. |
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Matthew also provides research and transdisciplinary planning support in collaboration with faculty at other VCU schools for cancer initiatives at Massey. He is an affiliate faculty member of the Department of Health Policy at the VCU School of Public Health and he serves on the Board of Directors of the Cancer Action Coalition of Virginia (CACV) and as a member of CACV's Advocacy & Policy Committee.
Matthew has more than a decade of experience as a consultant, researcher, and analyst based in Washington, D.C., where his published work on the politics and business of cancer research and drug development has led to Congressional investigations, triggered action by FDA, CDC, NIH, NCI, FBI, and GAO, reached the White House, and improved standards of care. Matthew's articles, which has been cited in leading medical journals and legacy media publications, has been recognized by 20 professional and academic organizations and by more than 25 national and regional awards. He serves as an instructor and guest speaker for policy and advocacy organizations, at conferences, as well as at D.C.-area universities and research institutions.
Matthew graduated from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health with an MPH in Epidemiology in 2024 and he has trained in fellowships with NCI, NIH, CDC, The Washington Post, The Commonwealth Fund, and PCORI.
Background
Prior to joining Massey, Matthew was Senior Editor of The Cancer Letter (est. 1973), an oncology news and policy publication, where his investigative work often relies on working relationships and collaborations with U.S. and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). His articles were read weekly by experts, policymakers, and key opinion leaders at >250 institutions: academic cancer centers, government agencies, life sciences companies, professional associations, and advocacy organizations.
Matthew has been invited to teach classes and seminars for journalists, scientists, and physicians, and he has been interviewed for documentaries, podcasts, and on public radio programs, including NPR. His work has been cited in books, scientific journals, and news organizations, including:
His published work has contributed to federal action by the:
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
• U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
• U.S. Congress Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce
His articles have been recognized by the following journalism and professional organizations:
• National Press Club (NPC)
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
• Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)
• The Poynter Institute (TPI)
• Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW)
• National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation (NIHCM)
• American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE)
• American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
• Washington Media Institute (WMI)
• Washington, DC Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ DC)
His speaking engagements include classes, seminars, workshops, and panels at the:
• National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
• Howard University
• University of Maryland
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
• Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI)
• Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)
• AHCJ Health Journalism Annual Conference
• Washington Media Institute (WMI)
In 2024, Matthew was selected and trained by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and CDC in a competitive Program Evaluation Practicum designed to produce real-world evaluations that are implemented by government agencies and public health organizations. He served as a program evaluation consultant for the CDC and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Matthew was one of five journalists selected for the 2021 class of the Health Care Performance Fellowship, the Association of Health Care Journalists' most prestigious fellowship, which is supported by The Commonwealth Fund. In 2022, he was selected as an NIH Research Scholar with the NIH All of Us Research Program. In 2020, he was selected from over 130 journalists by the Poynter Institute and The Washington Post to join the 2020-21 Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media.
In 2016, Matthew was chosen as a fellow for the inaugural class of the National Cancer Reporting Fellowships, a collaboration between the Association of Health Care Journalists and the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). He was also invited as a fellow for the 2017 Comparative Effectiveness Research Fellowship, a joint effort by AHCJ and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
Matthew's detailed coverage of precision medicine and oncology bioinformatics has been cited by the President’s Cancer Panel, which advises the White House and provides recommendations and findings to the President of the United States, in accordance with the National Cancer Act of 1971. He is featured in a 2021 cancer informatics podcast, "How technology is helping to fight cancer".
For his coverage of the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative, led by former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Matt was interviewed on KQED San Francisco, the National Public Radio's (NPR) largest member station, for an hour-long feature on the first anniversary of the Cancer Moonshot.
Matthew's investigative work has focused on minimally invasive surgery, cancer-related outcomes, and reporting of adverse events in a multi-year investigation, When Surgical Innovation Kills and How Medical Devices Do Harm. His coverage is featured in a 2021 documentary, Kicking the Hornet's Nest. Other notable projects include enterprise and investigative reports on systemic inequities, social justice in health care, and sexual misconduct in oncology.
In Malaysia, Matthew's country of origin, his work has been showcased in feature-length interviews on BFM 89.9, MalaysiaKini’s series Malaysians Now, and by MIMS, an international medical news network.
Matthew received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University in 2012 with triple majors in journalism, psychology, and women's and gender studies. As an undergraduate, he received the Excellence in News/Editorial Journalism Award for two consecutive academic years. He received a certificate in business administration from Georgetown University, and was the recipient of the 2016 Washington Media Institute Distinguished Alumni Award.
Matthew's work has appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where he contributed to a series that won a 2013 George Polk Award and inspired an $8.3 million donation to the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University for the creation of a public service journalism fellowship program.
Matthew has >10 years of experience in oncology, covering precision medicine, health inequities, surgery, cancer informatics, drug development, and medical devices. He also has >15 years of experience as a writer, editor-in-chief, producer, and business development manager for various publications in news organizations and in corporate and marketing communications.
Matthew has more than a decade of experience as a consultant, researcher, and analyst based in Washington, D.C., where his published work on the politics and business of cancer research and drug development has led to Congressional investigations, triggered action by FDA, CDC, NIH, NCI, FBI, and GAO, reached the White House, and improved standards of care. Matthew's articles, which has been cited in leading medical journals and legacy media publications, has been recognized by 20 professional and academic organizations and by more than 25 national and regional awards. He serves as an instructor and guest speaker for policy and advocacy organizations, at conferences, as well as at D.C.-area universities and research institutions.
Matthew graduated from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health with an MPH in Epidemiology in 2024 and he has trained in fellowships with NCI, NIH, CDC, The Washington Post, The Commonwealth Fund, and PCORI.
Background
Prior to joining Massey, Matthew was Senior Editor of The Cancer Letter (est. 1973), an oncology news and policy publication, where his investigative work often relies on working relationships and collaborations with U.S. and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). His articles were read weekly by experts, policymakers, and key opinion leaders at >250 institutions: academic cancer centers, government agencies, life sciences companies, professional associations, and advocacy organizations.
Matthew has been invited to teach classes and seminars for journalists, scientists, and physicians, and he has been interviewed for documentaries, podcasts, and on public radio programs, including NPR. His work has been cited in books, scientific journals, and news organizations, including:
- Science, Nature, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), The British Medical Journal (BMJ), The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), The Journal of Clinical Advances in Hematology and Oncology.
- The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Review of Books, ABC News, CBS affiliates, The Boston Globe, Inside Higher Ed, The Houston Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, MedPage Today, GenomeWeb
- The CEO Roundtable on Cancer, CEO Cancer Life Sciences Consortium, American Association for Cancer Research.
His published work has contributed to federal action by the:
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
• U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
• U.S. Congress Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce
His articles have been recognized by the following journalism and professional organizations:
• National Press Club (NPC)
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
• Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)
• The Poynter Institute (TPI)
• Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW)
• National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation (NIHCM)
• American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE)
• American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
• Washington Media Institute (WMI)
• Washington, DC Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ DC)
His speaking engagements include classes, seminars, workshops, and panels at the:
• National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
• Howard University
• University of Maryland
• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
• Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI)
• Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)
• AHCJ Health Journalism Annual Conference
• Washington Media Institute (WMI)
In 2024, Matthew was selected and trained by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and CDC in a competitive Program Evaluation Practicum designed to produce real-world evaluations that are implemented by government agencies and public health organizations. He served as a program evaluation consultant for the CDC and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Matthew was one of five journalists selected for the 2021 class of the Health Care Performance Fellowship, the Association of Health Care Journalists' most prestigious fellowship, which is supported by The Commonwealth Fund. In 2022, he was selected as an NIH Research Scholar with the NIH All of Us Research Program. In 2020, he was selected from over 130 journalists by the Poynter Institute and The Washington Post to join the 2020-21 Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media.
In 2016, Matthew was chosen as a fellow for the inaugural class of the National Cancer Reporting Fellowships, a collaboration between the Association of Health Care Journalists and the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). He was also invited as a fellow for the 2017 Comparative Effectiveness Research Fellowship, a joint effort by AHCJ and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
Matthew's detailed coverage of precision medicine and oncology bioinformatics has been cited by the President’s Cancer Panel, which advises the White House and provides recommendations and findings to the President of the United States, in accordance with the National Cancer Act of 1971. He is featured in a 2021 cancer informatics podcast, "How technology is helping to fight cancer".
For his coverage of the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative, led by former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Matt was interviewed on KQED San Francisco, the National Public Radio's (NPR) largest member station, for an hour-long feature on the first anniversary of the Cancer Moonshot.
Matthew's investigative work has focused on minimally invasive surgery, cancer-related outcomes, and reporting of adverse events in a multi-year investigation, When Surgical Innovation Kills and How Medical Devices Do Harm. His coverage is featured in a 2021 documentary, Kicking the Hornet's Nest. Other notable projects include enterprise and investigative reports on systemic inequities, social justice in health care, and sexual misconduct in oncology.
In Malaysia, Matthew's country of origin, his work has been showcased in feature-length interviews on BFM 89.9, MalaysiaKini’s series Malaysians Now, and by MIMS, an international medical news network.
Matthew received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University in 2012 with triple majors in journalism, psychology, and women's and gender studies. As an undergraduate, he received the Excellence in News/Editorial Journalism Award for two consecutive academic years. He received a certificate in business administration from Georgetown University, and was the recipient of the 2016 Washington Media Institute Distinguished Alumni Award.
Matthew's work has appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where he contributed to a series that won a 2013 George Polk Award and inspired an $8.3 million donation to the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University for the creation of a public service journalism fellowship program.
Matthew has >10 years of experience in oncology, covering precision medicine, health inequities, surgery, cancer informatics, drug development, and medical devices. He also has >15 years of experience as a writer, editor-in-chief, producer, and business development manager for various publications in news organizations and in corporate and marketing communications.
