PhD. Nguyễn Thị Trúc Ly: “Choosing the VNU350 Programme to Shape the Future of Vietnamese Medicine through Interdisciplinary Research”

2025-06-30 10:38:00

PhD. Nguyễn Thị Trúc Ly, who earned her PhD from Seoul National University, South Korea—a top 50 global institution—has returned to Vietnam driven by a vision to advance personalised medicine, vaccines, and immunotherapy. With expertise in computational biochemistry and immunoinformatics, PhD. Truc Ly has joined the University of Health Sciences – VNUHCM to establish a robust platform for interdisciplinary research and training, aiming to elevate the quality of community healthcare in Vietnam.

Portrait of PhD. Nguyễn Thị Trúc Ly. Photo: Provided by the interviewee

What inspired you to join the University of Health Sciences through the VNU350 Programme?

I deeply admire the VNU350 Programme’s vision, which not only provides financial support but also places trust in the capabilities of young intellectuals, encouraging their long-term commitment to advancing Vietnam’s scientific landscape.

I chose the University of Health Sciences – VNUHCM because it is a dynamic and rapidly growing institution within the VNU-HCM system, with a strong reputation in the region. The University’s name itself reflects a forward-thinking approach, aligning with modern medical advancements where disciplines such as chemistry, biology, data science, and artificial intelligence converge to serve human health.

Given the increasing complexity of diseases, only an interdisciplinary approach can yield breakthroughs. VNU-HCM’s strength in multidisciplinary education provides an ideal foundation for realising an integrated model of training and research. This aligns perfectly with my expertise and research focus on immunoinformatics, computational biochemistry, immunotherapy, personalised medicine, and vaccine/drug development for infectious diseases and cancer. I believe this institution is the ideal starting point for an interdisciplinary research and training journey with a long-term, practical vision.

What specific support do you anticipate from the VNU350 Programme and the University of Health Sciences – VNUHCM to implement your upcoming research and teaching plans?

Over the next five years, I hope to receive support to develop three key pillars: access to research funding programmes, such as VNU and Nafosted grants, and partnerships between the University, hospitals, and industry; the establishment and growth of the INOVA Lab (Innovative Vaccines/Immunotherapy with AI Lab) to advance research on next-generation vaccines and immunotherapy; and the development of academic modules such as Immunoinformatics, Computational Vaccinology, AI in Health Sciences, and Systems Biochemistry to modernise and internationalise the curriculum.

What research directions will you focus on in the near future?

My current focus is on identifying and evaluating tumour-specific antigens to develop immunotherapy for personalised cancer treatment, alongside designing vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer using immunoinformatics, bioinformatics, and computational biochemistry tools.

In the long term, I plan to pursue three research directions: (1) establishing a database of tumour-specific antigens to support precision medicine for Vietnamese patients; (2) developing an immunological bioinformatics database for prevalent infectious diseases in Vietnam; and (3) designing therapeutic cancer vaccines and preventive vaccines for emerging infectious diseases based on genetic and immunological data of the Vietnamese population.

I am currently leading a VNU-HCM Type C project on designing a therapeutic vaccine for lung cancer in never-smokers (LCINS) and mentoring students in scientific research within this field. I am also fostering collaborations with hospitals and research groups within and beyond the VNU-HCM system, as well as pursuing international partnerships with South Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada, Russia, and several European countries.

What are your plans for the university’s training activities?

I believe that the quality of education stems not only from curricula but also from an academic model that integrates research and fosters a proactive academic culture. To this end, I aim to design and teach highly integrated modules combining theory, practice, and technology; guide students, postgraduates, and researchers in accessing international publications, securing research scholarships, and developing independent projects; and promote academic exchange through seminars, conferences, and workshops. Additionally, I seek to cultivate a “scientific culture” dedicated to serving the community.

I aspire to bridge cutting-edge academic knowledge with clinical and practical applications, contributing to the University of Health Sciences’ mission to enhance healthcare for the Vietnamese population, with a broader impact regionally and globally.

We sincerely thank PhD. Nguyễn Thị Trúc Ly for the interview.

PhD. Nguyễn Thị Trúc Ly is a young scientist specialising in computational biochemistry and immunoinformatics. She holds a PhD from Seoul National University, South Korea, and has received prestigious scholarships, including the SNU Development Fund Scholarship (2022), Brain Korea 21 Four Scholarship (2022), GSFS–Graduate Scholarship for Excellent Foreign Students (2021–2022), GSFS Living Allowance (2020–2022), SNU Global Scholarship (2020), Scholarship for International Students–Full Amount (2020), and full scholarships for her Master’s programme at Sookmyung Women’s University, South Korea, through the Sookmyung Global Scholarship and Brain Korea 21 (BK21). She is the lead author of 10 research papers published in reputable international journals indexed in the Web of Science.

(Source: VNU-HCM Newsletter)

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