Wency Leung - The Globe and Mail

Wency Leung

StaffReporterHealth ReporterToronto

wleung@globeandmail.com

Area of Expertise

Health

Wency Leung is a Toronto-based health journalist. She writes about various aspects of health, from COVID-19 to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, with a focus on prevention, empathy and equity.

Before joining The Globe in 2010, Wency reported for The Prague Post, The Vancouver Sun, The Cambodia Daily and Reuters.

Why did you become a journalist?

I view journalism as a way to understand one another, and ourselves. When someone entrusts you with their story, it's an enormous responsibility. Reporting what you find – as honestly, accurately and fairly as you can – is a small act of resistance against the status quo, and an expression of desire that things can change for the better.

25

Years in Journalism

16

Years at The Globe and Mail

Education

Bachelor of Journalism, Toronto Metropolitan University

Bachelor of Arts, Communications, Simon Fraser University

2021-2022 Journalism Fellowship, Massey College

Honours & Awards

Silver award, best personal essay, Digital Publishing Awards - 2021

Sustained news coverage, team award, National Newspaper Awards - 2020

Professional affliations

2021-2022 Journalism Fellowship, Massey College

Languages spoken

English

Wency Leung abides by The Globe and Mail Editorial Code of Conduct

Latest articles

September 9, 2023

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One secret to happy aging? Learn to stop fearing it

4 min read

August 28, 2023

People participate in the "Every Child Matters" march to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Montreal, Canada on September 30, 2021. - The mobilization is part of the "Every Child Matters" movement to commemorate the victims of Residential Schools, the last of which closed in 1996 in Canada. Earlier this week, Catholic bishops apologized for the trauma, past and ongoing, and actions done towards indigenous people in Residential Schools. (Photo by Andrej Ivanov / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images)

People participate in the "Every Child Matters" march to mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Montreal, Canada on September 30, 2021. - The mobilization is part of the "Every Child Matters" movement to commemorate the victims of Residential Schools, the last of which closed in 1996 in Canada. Earlier this week, Catholic bishops apologized for the trauma, past and ongoing, and actions done towards indigenous people in Residential Schools. (Photo by Andrej Ivanov / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images)

Indigenous females face more hurdles in health care access, study finds

3 min read

August 23, 2023

The entrance to the emergency department at Peter Lougheed hospital is pictured in, Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The entrance to the emergency department at Peter Lougheed hospital is pictured in, Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

COVID-19 hospitalizations jump nearly 20% year-over-year, ICU and ER visits down, data show

3 min read

August 20, 2023

For a story written by health writer Kelly Grant, we had access to the COVID unit at Brampton Civic Hospital to report on benefits of proning COVID patients to help with their ventilation. On the left, Care team members attend to an ICU patient after they were turned from a prone position, onto the supine position, and the other is the equipment needed to take care of and monitor the patient at Brampton Civic Hospital on May 25, 2021. What has been difficult to convey during the pandemic because access to hospitals was hard to get, was the extraordinary effort health care professionals had to perform to keep patients alive. As well as the hands on care, the bank of monitors and equipment outside the room is an important part of patient care. Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail.

For a story written by health writer Kelly Grant, we had access to the COVID unit at Brampton Civic Hospital to report on benefits of proning COVID patients to help with their ventilation. On the left, Care team members attend to an ICU patient after they were turned from a prone position, onto the supine position, and the other is the equipment needed to take care of and monitor the patient at Brampton Civic Hospital on May 25, 2021. What has been difficult to convey during the pandemic because access to hospitals was hard to get, was the extraordinary effort health care professionals had to perform to keep patients alive. As well as the hands on care, the bank of monitors and equipment outside the room is an important part of patient care. Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail.

COVID-19 linked to diabetes risk, study shows

4 min read

August 15, 2023

Registered nurse Linda Wright attends to a patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C., Friday, June 4, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Registered nurse Linda Wright attends to a patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C., Friday, June 4, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

More people than expected are dying in Canada in 2023 for reasons that are not yet clear

4 min read

August 11, 2023

Those willing to take a steep hike up more than 800 stone steps are rewarded by a view of the Monastery, one of the largest monuments in Petra.

Those willing to take a steep hike up more than 800 stone steps are rewarded by a view of the Monastery, one of the largest monuments in Petra.

Exploring the ancient wonders of Jordan, travellers learn just how small they are in time

6 min read

August 4, 2023

lightbulb brainstorming creative idea abstract icon on business hand.

lightbulb brainstorming creative idea abstract icon on business hand.

The science of boosting your creativity

5 min read

August 3, 2023

Paramedic Specialist David Hilder from B.C. Ambulance tries to speak to a drug overdose victim in downtown Vancouver, Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Over the past several years the drug overdoses not only across British Columbia but throughout Canada have but grown. On June, 23, 2021 for instance B.C. Ambulance paramedics responded to 140 overdose calls across the province with 42 of those being just in Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Paramedic Specialist David Hilder from B.C. Ambulance tries to speak to a drug overdose victim in downtown Vancouver, Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Over the past several years the drug overdoses not only across British Columbia but throughout Canada have but grown. On June, 23, 2021 for instance B.C. Ambulance paramedics responded to 140 overdose calls across the province with 42 of those being just in Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Overdose victims are 15 times more likely to suffer brain injury, new study finds

3 min read

July 27, 2023

A Salvation Army EMS vehicle is setup as a cooling station as people line up to get into a splash park while trying to beat the heat in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Some Canadian on-air weather personalities say their approach and tone that they use in their jobs is having to change amid worsening climate change.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A Salvation Army EMS vehicle is setup as a cooling station as people line up to get into a splash park while trying to beat the heat in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Some Canadian on-air weather personalities say their approach and tone that they use in their jobs is having to change amid worsening climate change.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

People with schizophrenia at greater risk of heat-related deaths than other chronic illnesses

4 min read

July 25, 2023

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 10, 2015 in Pont-Audemer, northwestern France a man holds his smartphone next to a glass of beer as he sits at a bar table.
Cigarette, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, pornography, video games and use of screens : addictions of young people aged from 14 to 24 reached an "alarming" level in France, according to a survey published in the Parisien French daily newspaper, AFP reported on June 8, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / CHARLY TRIBALLEAUCHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 10, 2015 in Pont-Audemer, northwestern France a man holds his smartphone next to a glass of beer as he sits at a bar table.
Cigarette, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, pornography, video games and use of screens : addictions of young people aged from 14 to 24 reached an "alarming" level in France, according to a survey published in the Parisien French daily newspaper, AFP reported on June 8, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / CHARLY TRIBALLEAUCHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

New study shows B.C. patients not getting access to alcohol addiction drugs despite their efficacy

3 min read

July 24, 2023

A sign directing visitors to the emergency department is shown at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Friday, May 15, 2015 in Ottawa. A top doctor at an Ottawa children's hospital is asking community members to wear masks indoors amid a surge in viral illnesses among kids. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

A sign directing visitors to the emergency department is shown at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Friday, May 15, 2015 in Ottawa. A top doctor at an Ottawa children's hospital is asking community members to wear masks indoors amid a surge in viral illnesses among kids. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Children in food-insecure homes visit doctors, ER more than peers, study says

3 min read

July 21, 2023

Julie Hardy poses for a portrait in her yard in Warren, NS, on June 16, 2023. Chris Donovan/The Globe and Mail

Julie Hardy poses for a portrait in her yard in Warren, NS, on June 16, 2023. Chris Donovan/The Globe and Mail

More patients, few answers: New Brunswick doctor is ‘sounding the alarm’ as unexplained neurological cases continue

11 min read

July 17, 2023

A member of the Sinaloa Cartel shows capsules with methamphetamine in a safe house in Culiacan, Mexico, April 4, 2022. To match Special report MEXICO-DRUGS/CHAPITOS REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

A member of the Sinaloa Cartel shows capsules with methamphetamine in a safe house in Culiacan, Mexico, April 4, 2022. To match Special report MEXICO-DRUGS/CHAPITOS REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

Prescribing psychostimulant medication used for ADHD could help reduce illegal drug use, expert says

3 min read

July 6, 2023

FILE - This undated photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a blacklegged tick, which is also known as a deer tick. Ticks will be more active than usual early in spring 2023, and that means Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections could spread earlier and in greater numbers than in a typical year. Ticks can transmit multiple diseases that sicken humans, and deer ticks, which spread Lyme, are a day-to-day fact of life in the warm months in New England and the Midwest. (CDC via AP, File)

FILE - This undated photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a blacklegged tick, which is also known as a deer tick. Ticks will be more active than usual early in spring 2023, and that means Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections could spread earlier and in greater numbers than in a typical year. Ticks can transmit multiple diseases that sicken humans, and deer ticks, which spread Lyme, are a day-to-day fact of life in the warm months in New England and the Midwest. (CDC via AP, File)

The key to fighting ticks? Getting to know them better

5 min read

June 20, 2023

Nurses close the curtains of a patients room in the Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C., Friday, June 4, 2021. A series of letters from doctors across multiple disciplines sharply critical of the management of patient care at a Metro Vancouver hospital has placed British Columbia's largest health authority under intense scrutiny. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Nurses close the curtains of a patients room in the Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C., Friday, June 4, 2021. A series of letters from doctors across multiple disciplines sharply critical of the management of patient care at a Metro Vancouver hospital has placed British Columbia's largest health authority under intense scrutiny. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

People hospitalized with COVID-19 face higher risk of serious health conditions: study

3 min read

June 7, 2023

A smokey Toronto skyline is seen from the CN Tower as wildfires in Ontario and Quebec continue to burn, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

A smokey Toronto skyline is seen from the CN Tower as wildfires in Ontario and Quebec continue to burn, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

explainer

How does wildfire smoke affect air quality and your health?

4 min read

June 1, 2023

Janet Millen, 75, had a stroke in 2006, and still struggles with aphasia, a difficultly with language pose for a portrait at her home May 31, 2023 in Ottawa. Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail

Janet Millen, 75, had a stroke in 2006, and still struggles with aphasia, a difficultly with language pose for a portrait at her home May 31, 2023 in Ottawa. Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail

Women more likely than men to experience depression and anxiety following a stroke

4 min read

May 26, 2023

A person walks by the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon as smoke from wildfires burning across the Prairies blankets the city on Saturday, May 20, 2023. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is lifting a fire ban across the province after recent rainfall and cooler temperatures helped crews battle wildfires in the northern region. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

A person walks by the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon as smoke from wildfires burning across the Prairies blankets the city on Saturday, May 20, 2023. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is lifting a fire ban across the province after recent rainfall and cooler temperatures helped crews battle wildfires in the northern region. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

Air pollution from increasing wildfires could pose long-term health risks

4 min read

May 23, 2023

Paxton Bach is photographed in the Kitsilano neighbourhood, outside Kitsilano Secondary School, of Vancouver, B.C. on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Bach is an internal medicine and addiction medicine specialist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and co-medical director at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use. (Kayla Isomura/The Globe and Mail)

Paxton Bach is photographed in the Kitsilano neighbourhood, outside Kitsilano Secondary School, of Vancouver, B.C. on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Bach is an internal medicine and addiction medicine specialist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and co-medical director at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use. (Kayla Isomura/The Globe and Mail)

Methamphetamine use is on the rise, worsening Canada’s already complex opioid crisis

5 min read

May 15, 2023

Gord Downie of the The Tragically Hip performing the first of three final shows at the Air Canada Centre on the renowned Canadian band’s farewell tour. As Downie faces a terminal brain cancer diagnosis the band embarked on the “Man Machine Poem” tour with a final show planned fo August 20th in their hometown Kingston, Ontario.
August 10, 2016
(Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail)

Gord Downie of the The Tragically Hip performing the first of three final shows at the Air Canada Centre on the renowned Canadian band’s farewell tour. As Downie faces a terminal brain cancer diagnosis the band embarked on the “Man Machine Poem” tour with a final show planned fo August 20th in their hometown Kingston, Ontario.
August 10, 2016
(Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail)

New combination of treatments for glioblastoma shows promise for patients with brain cancer

3 min read