Eleanor J. Ong is a PhD candidate and Global Health Early Career Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, dedicated to advancing health equity among marginalized communities. With a psychology background and decade of clinical experience as a practicing psychotherapist, she brings deep expertise in addiction recovery and trauma treatment to her population-level research and interventions.

Eleanor’s research centers on adverse childhood experiences and substance use among LGBTQ+ communities, examining how intersecting social and structural determinants including race, gender, and socioeconomic status compound these challenges. Moving beyond traditional deficit-based frameworks, she amplifies community voices and documents holistic, community-informed approaches to substance use and recovery. As Director of The Greenhouse, a recovery centre providing free addiction and trauma services to marginalized communities in Singapore, she advocates for evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches while ensuring rigorous program evaluation. At kayos kollective, a Singapore research lab focusing on intersectional, queer-oriented projects, she serves as Senior Knowledge Advisor, empowering communities through inclusive methodologies. As a Senior Fellow at The Equity Initiative, she is presently conducting comprehensive landscape analyses to identify mental health equity gaps to develop strategic frameworks for advancing mental health equity across Southeast Asia and China.

Recognized through multiple teaching awards and scholarships, including the 2025 Annual Teaching Excellence Award from the National University of Singapore, Eleanor is also a Global Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in Southeast Asia, alumna and country delegate of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program in Combatting Public Health Challenges. Her research on LGBTQ+ health and well-being has been presented at major international conferences, influencing policy discussion across the Asia-Pacific region. Eleanor’s work demonstrates how rigorous academic research can advance both individual healing and structural change through meaningful and authentic community partnership.