Catherine Tong, PhD, draws on over 18 years of health care research experience, principally using qualitative and mixed methods. Prior areas of focus have included: ethnicity and aging, home and community care, mobility and physical activity, geriatric models of care, care transitions, implementation science, and multilingual and accessible research design. 

One of her most recent studies, understanding the health care experiences of racialized older adults, was conducted in nine languages.

Catherine completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia, in the interdisciplinary studies graduate program (Home Department Family Medicine).

She then went on to work as a research scientist with the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group at the University of Waterloo (2018-2023), where she also taught several courses on health and aging.

She currently serves as a senior researcher with the Centre for Health Care Research & Innovation at Conestoga, and has status as a research scientist with the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging and an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Waterloo.  

Catherine has published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles, and her first co-authored book, Social Gerontology in Canada: Strength-based Approaches to Aging was published in late 2025 by Canadian Scholars Press.