Melissa Wong is a Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of New South Wales. Her research interests include the causes and consequences of poverty and income inequality as well the application of social policies in developing economies. She is also interested in trade-poverty linkages, interactions between growth and international trade and the effects of trade on human capital accumulation and economic policies. Dr Wong's research skills involve the statistical analysis of survey microdata and aggregate data on poverty and income inequality.

Recent and ongoing research projects include Social Disadvantage and Economic Recession: Promoting Inclusion and Combating Deprivation (ARC Linkage grant), An Analysis of Employment of Poor and Non-poor Aboriginals in Urban Areas during the Global Financial Tsunami: a comparison between Australia and Taiwan (ASSA Joint-bilateral ISL grant), Comparing the Living Standards of Children and Older People Within and Between Nations (ARC Discovery grant), Data Mapping Exercise: Indicators of Wellbeing for Children and Women (Consultancy for UNICEF Malaysia).