After completing a Bachelor of Asian Studies (majoring in Thai language) Matthew commenced work as a Research Assistant on the Thai Health-Risk Transition Project at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, ANU. He worked in this role until 2015, while also completing his PhD. His PhD research addressed food environment, particularly food retailing, effects on nutrition and health in Thailand. In 2015 he began work on the DFAT funded project ‘Building capacity for evidence based health development in Indonesia’. This project is expanding his research into health information systems while maintaining his Southeast Asian research focus.