Photo courtesy of Dr Matthew Ng.
Dr Matthew Ng didn’t take the usual road to academia – as he's moved from biology to finance to data science, his career has been shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and a drive to turn complex urban challenges into practical tools.
Matthew is UNSW’s first Scientia Industry Fellow at the City Futures Research Centre, and he credits his journey to “luck, curiosity, and the guidance of some very generous mentors”.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm a Senior Research Fellow at the City Futures Research Centre under the UNSW Scientia Industry Program. My work is in spatial data science, which is essentially using data and machine learning to understand how our cities and urban systems work.
Since joining UNSW in 2020, a big part of my focus has been the Value Australia project. We develop models to help government and financial institutions understand property values and plan for different scenarios. It has been really satisfying to see the research lead to practical outcomes, including a spin-off company and industry partnerships that are still going strong. That work led directly to my current position, and I was appointed as UNSW’s first Scientia Industry Fellow in 2022.
My path to academia wasn't exactly linear. I originally studied biology in the UK and then spent a few years working in finance in London and Singapore. I found myself drawn back to research, which led me to a PhD at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London (UCL). I came to Sydney to join the City Futures Research Centre straight after my doctoral studies – UNSW had a great reputation globally and was very supportive of my move.
What or who sparked your interest in this area of research?
I've always been fascinated by whole systems thinking, which means that you can't understand one part of a complex system without understanding how it connects to everything else. When I started applying that lens to cities, the work of researchers like Mike Batty and Elsa Arcaute was a huge inspiration. They were pioneers in demonstrating how complex urban systems could be quantitatively analysed. I was incredibly lucky to have the chance to interact closely with both of them throughout my doctoral studies, and their thinking was fundamental in shaping my own research.
When I moved to UNSW, the Director of the City Futures Research Centre, Scientia Professor Chris Pettit, was pivotal in shaping my professional trajectory. He helped me bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application. That experience set the course for my career, steering me toward research that prioritised real-world impact – from housing metrics for the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), valuation models adopted by industry, to open data platforms like Colouring Australia. That orientation towards implementation and practicality has become a defining thread throughout my career. I see my path as a combination of luck, curiosity, and the guidance of some very generous mentors.
There’s a real satisfaction in that moment when a clear, evidence-based answer emerges from the complexity.
What are you working on right now?
My main focus is still the Value Australia project, where my role involves an interesting mix of quantitative work that supports both research and business needs.
On any given day, I might tackle a few different kinds of challenges. For example, some of my work is very detailed and foundational – this could involve a highly technical, geospatial task like automatically calculating the precise shapes of land parcels to ensure our core data is accurate. Other days, I’m extracting features from different data sources, which might use text analysis on property listings to identify if a home has been renovated, or using image analysis on aerial photos to detect features like swimming pools and solar panels.
Most recently, I've been working on our Precinct Feasibility Explorer. This is a more strategic tool that models how entire development plans fit within local zoning restrictions. It helps us understand the potential impact on housing density and infrastructure. Planners can use it to test different precinct-level development scenarios and see how they align with the broader Local Government Area (LGA) and city-level strategy.
What do you find most rewarding about being a researcher?
There’s the intellectual satisfaction of the work itself. You start with a complex, messy urban question and a jumble of datasets, and then you get to play detective – finding patterns, testing ideas, and building a model that makes sense of what’s going on. There’s a real satisfaction in that moment when a clear, evidence-based answer emerges from the complexity.
For me, the greatest satisfaction comes from seeing ideas turn into something useful. Much of my work sits between academia, industry, and government, which means I get to work on problems with a clear real-world application. It’s rewarding to see a model or dataset we’ve developed being used in a policy discussion or helping a planner or analyst make a better-informed decision. Along the way, I have the chance to work with people from very different disciplines and backgrounds, which keeps the work interesting and gives me perspectives I wouldn’t gain on my own.
What piece of advice would you give to someone who is considering or about to transition into academia?
Firstly, my advice would be to keep at it. Research can be slow and often requires patience and resilience – that is the nature of the work, not a sign you're doing anything wrong. There are long stretches where progress feels incremental, and there’s a lot of rejection along the way. Treat each setback as feedback: adjust and try again. If you stay with it, the outcomes are worth it.
Secondly, don’t let your skills fossilise. It’s important to keep investing in your own development, especially in your field. Remember that the world moves quickly and being able to adapt your skills and approaches will help you stay relevant and open to new opportunities.
Finally, surround yourself with supportive people. My career would have been very different without the mentors, colleagues, and peers who have offered guidance along the way. Many of the best steps I’ve taken started with a conversation with someone who offered a different perspective or encouraged me to pursue an idea. Those relationships not only improve the work but also make the journey more sustainable.
To learn more about Dr Matthew Ng's research, projects and achievements, visit his Researcher Profile.