Dr. Melissa Wong

Biography

Melissa Wong is a Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, where she focuses on the causes and consequences of poverty and income inequality, and the application of social policies in developing economies. She holds a PhD in Economics from UNSW and has a strong interest in the trade-poverty linkages, the interactions between economic growth and international trade, and the effects of trade on human capital accumulation and economic policies. Her research skills encompass statistical analysis, survey microdata, and aggregate data pertaining to poverty and income inequality. Melissa is involved in several ongoing research projects, including examining social disadvantage during economic recessions, analyzing employment among poor and non-poor Aboriginals in urban areas during the global financial crisis, and comparing living standards across nations with a focus on children and older people. She also engages in data mapping exercises to assess indicators of well-being for children and women, in consultancy with UNICEF Malaysia. Additionally, she participates actively with organizations such as the Economic Society of Australia and the Australian Social Policy Association, and is keen to supervise higher degree research students in the areas of social policy and poverty measurements.

Research Interests