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Matthew Ong is a public health professional trained in epidemiology, health policy, and strategic communications.
Currently, Matt 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, with a focus on health disparities and equitable access to care. He also provides research and interdisciplinary planning support in collaboration with faculty at other VCU schools for community outreach and engagement as well as cancer communication initiatives at Massey. He graduated from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health with an MPH in Epidemiology in 2024. |
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Matt has more than a decade of experience as an award-winning healthcare and medical editor and writer based in Washington, D.C., where his reporting 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, and helped change policy and improve standards of care.
Prior to joining Massey, Matt was Senior Editor of The Cancer Letter (est. 1973), an oncology news and policy publication, where his investigative work has been recognized by >25 awards and 20 organizations. His articles—which often rely on working relationships and collaborations with U.S. and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN)—were read weekly by experts, policymakers, and key opinion leaders at >250 institutions: top-tier academic institutions, government agencies, life sciences companies, professional associations, and advocacy organizations. His work has been cited in books and scientific journals, and he has been invited to teach classes and seminars for journalists, scientists, and physicians.
His articles have also been picked up and cited by news organizations, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Review of Books, ABC News, CBS affiliates, The Boston Globe, Science, Nature, Inside Higher Ed, The Houston Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Journal of the American Medical Association, The British Medical Journal, The American Journal of Managed Care, The Journal of Clinical Advances in Hematology and Oncology, MedPage Today, GenomeWeb—and by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, CEO Cancer Life Sciences Consortium, and the American Association for Cancer Research. He has been interviewed for documentaries, podcasts, and on public radio programs, including NPR.
Matt 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.
Matt's articles have 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 work has 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, Matt 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.
Matt 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, Matt 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).
Matt'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.
Matt'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, Matt'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.
Matt graduated 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 has a certificate in business administration from Georgetown University, and is the recipient of the 2016 Washington Media Institute Distinguished Alumni Award.
Matt'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.
Matt 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.
Prior to joining Massey, Matt was Senior Editor of The Cancer Letter (est. 1973), an oncology news and policy publication, where his investigative work has been recognized by >25 awards and 20 organizations. His articles—which often rely on working relationships and collaborations with U.S. and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN)—were read weekly by experts, policymakers, and key opinion leaders at >250 institutions: top-tier academic institutions, government agencies, life sciences companies, professional associations, and advocacy organizations. His work has been cited in books and scientific journals, and he has been invited to teach classes and seminars for journalists, scientists, and physicians.
His articles have also been picked up and cited by news organizations, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Review of Books, ABC News, CBS affiliates, The Boston Globe, Science, Nature, Inside Higher Ed, The Houston Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Journal of the American Medical Association, The British Medical Journal, The American Journal of Managed Care, The Journal of Clinical Advances in Hematology and Oncology, MedPage Today, GenomeWeb—and by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, CEO Cancer Life Sciences Consortium, and the American Association for Cancer Research. He has been interviewed for documentaries, podcasts, and on public radio programs, including NPR.
Matt 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.
Matt's articles have 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 work has 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, Matt 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.
Matt 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, Matt 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).
Matt'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.
Matt'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, Matt'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.
Matt graduated 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 has a certificate in business administration from Georgetown University, and is the recipient of the 2016 Washington Media Institute Distinguished Alumni Award.
Matt'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.
Matt 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.
