Thye Peng Ngo has over 15 years of experience as a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, and nurse educator. He is committed to addressing health and healthcare inequities among marginalized populations, including LGBTQ+ individuals, unhoused communities, and Veterans. His research focuses on substance use, particularly multiple substance use and mental health, examining the syndemic conditions that contribute to health disparities.
Dr. Ngo earned his PhD in Nursing from Indiana University, where his research focused on nursing education and simulation. During his postdoctoral training, he completed a one-year advanced training in clinical research at UCSF to enhance his proficiency in mixed methods research. With this background, he is currently leading multiple projects as a principal investigator, including a UCSF-funded study that employs a mixed methods approach to examine alcohol use and sexual behaviors among adults in San Francisco using the syndemic framework.
His research examines the intersections of substance use, mental health, and structural inequities. His recent studies include (1) an investigation of syndemic conditions and hazardous alcohol consumption among sexual minority men to identify syndemic factors such as depression, HIV/STI status, and housing insecurity; (2) an analysis of unmet subsistence needs and mental health symptoms among women experiencing homelessness, highlighting how housing instability, food insecurity, and other basic needs impact psychological well-being; and (3) a study on the prevalence of substance co-use and mortality among Veterans on long-term opioid therapy, exploring how different substance use patterns influence health outcomes in this high-risk population.
Dr. Ngo works closely with a diverse mentorship team, including the NCSP program directors and research mentors from the UCSF School of Nursing, UCSF School of Medicine, and the San Francisco VA Health Care System. He collaborates with other institutions and community partners, including his summer externships at XRPeds at Yale and Maastricht University, which have broadened his research scope and interdisciplinary approaches. He also serves as a qualitative research consultant for Larkin Street Youth and Chapin Hall, contributing to housing transition projects for unhoused youth.
As a certified nurse educator (CNE) and certified healthcare simulation educator (CHSE), Dr. Ngo is passionate about advancing nursing education and simulation research. He facilitates interprofessional simulation training at the VA, working with medical, nursing, and pharmacy residents to enhance collaborative decision-making in patient care. He continues to teach nursing students and conduct studies in nursing education and simulation to improve learning outcomes and clinical training.
The National Clinician Scholars Program has provided him with invaluable mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, and engagement with academic and community partners. These experiences have been instrumental in shaping his research trajectory and commitment to improving healthcare outcomes for marginalized populations.
Research Interests: Substance use and mental health among marginalized populations, including Veterans, LGBTQ+ communities, and unhoused individuals.