Dalla Lana School of Public Health

‘I realized I love this’: The spark that led a physician to pursue a PhD at DLSPH

May 27/2026

DLSPH PhD graduate Dr. Sean Ong shares why he chose DLSPH’s Clinical Epidemiology and Healthcare Research (CEHCR) program and what this program has meant for his career.

By Ishani Nath

Sean Ong, 35, discovered his passion for clinical epidemiology and healthcare research during a difficult time. Dr. Ong was training as an infectious disease physician in Singapore when patients suffering from a novel coronavirus, soon to be known as COVID-19, began showing up in the hospital. Working on the frontlines, Dr. Ong witnessed the real-world difference clinical trials made — an experience that sparked his interest in clinical research.

“I realized I actually love this,” says Dr. Ong. “I love discovering new things and I was learning more about this entirely new disease and whatever we found directly impacted the patients that we took care of with this disease.”

Harnessing that passion, Dr. Ong decided to pursue a PhD to gain research and statistical training beyond what he had learned in medical school. “I wanted to learn how to do research rigorously at a high international standard,” he says. That drive and passion led him to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH).

Why choose the Dalla Lana School of Public Health for a PhD

Dr. Ong considered programs from all over the world, but the opportunities offered by here at DLSPH stood out. In particular, Dr. Ong was drawn in by the joint PhD program between the University of Toronto and the University of Melbourne, allowing Dr. Ong the unparalleled chance to live in two countries and integrate with research communities across the world.

“These two institutions, the University of Toronto and University of Melbourne, their research is world class,” says Dr. Ong, who adds that infectious disease research relies on international collaborations. “I wanted to learn from the best to become the next generation of clinical researchers to generate evidence at an international level.”

He highlights that the quality of the coursework in DLSPH’s Clinical Epidemiology and Healthcare Research (CEHCR) program, including a full year of foundational training, was particularly attractive. “They’re so rigorous in terms of the methodology and the quality of the coursework,” says Dr. Ong. “That’s something that isn’t offered in many PhD programs around the world.”

Making the most of the PhD experience at DLSPH

While Dr. Ong completed his PhD in just over 3.5 years, he was determined to make the most of the opportunities at DLSPH. Through the Clinical Epidemiology and Healthcare Research (CEHCR) program, he met PhD and masters students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines ranging from hematology to surgery, neurology to emergency medicine. Through DLSPH, Dr. Ong was also connected with organizations in Toronto including Public Health Ontario (PHO), Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and various academic hospitals around the GTA.

“You pick up the best practices from each other. I learned the outcomes they use in surgery or nephrology, for example, are very different from the outcomes that we use in infectious disease — and actually we can learn from each other,” he says.

This collaborative environment directly impacted Dr. Ong’s PhD research looking at modern ways to improve how physicians get informed consent from patients and assess clinical trial outcomes.

Career outcomes: The difference a PhD makes

Dr. Ong pursued a PhD with the goal of becoming a clinician scientist and conduct high-level clinical trials — a goal he was able to achieve here at DLSPH.

Reflecting on his time at the School, Dr. Ong says that the way his courses were structured allowed often allowed him to turn final assignments into publications. This format enabled him to earn multiple publications while completing his PhD.

“Sean authored 13 full manuscripts and multiple editorials during his PhD training, a testament to his fire-in-the-belly for research,” says Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) Professor Nick Daneman, Dr. Ong’s supervisor, adding that these studies were inspired by gaps Dr. Ong identified during his coursework. “He was an exceptional PhD student, among the top that I have worked with, and on the trajectory to be a global leader in the field of clinical trials in infectious diseases.”

The joint program at the University of Toronto and the University of Melbourne further set Dr. Ong up for success by connecting him with researchers from around the world. “Having such a rich international network at this early stage of my career, that’s just incredible,” he says. “I don’t think that I could have had that without this program.”

Advice for those considering a PhD at DLSPH

As Dr. Ong prepares to graduate, he shared advice for students starting or considering a PhD here at DLSPH. His response: Soak everything up.

“Be like a sponge in your first year,” he says. “Talk to as many people as you can, sign up for all the classes that pique your interest, even if they’re not related to your PhD directly. You never know what’s going to come out of it.”