| Nhật (wearing a black T-shirt) testing his team’s research project to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness in real-world clinical settings. — Photo tienphong.vn |
HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese scientists around the world are emerging as key players in major research projects by harnessing international collaboration and interdisciplinary teamwork.
Their efforts are helping transform academic ideas into practical products, tools that are not only usable in real-world settings but also have the potential for global reach and commercialisation.
As technology advances at breakneck speed, a new generation of Vietnamese researchers is redefining what it means to work in science.
They are moving beyond the image of the solitary scientist in a lab and instead teaming up with experts across fields to develop tangible solutions, from AI-powered diagnostic software and biomedical devices to renewable energy models ready for deployment.
These projects are designed not just for publication, but for real-world impact.
One such effort is led by Phùng Trần Huy Nhật, now Innovation and Research Quality Manager at AstraZeneca Vietnam. While completing his PhD at King’s College London, Nhật wrestled with a key question: How can artificial intelligence (AI) make a meaningful difference for patients in low-resource healthcare settings?
That question led to the development of AI software for lung ultrasounds, an affordable tool that can be performed at a patient’s bedside but typically requires years of medical training to interpret.
Nhật envisioned using AI to support doctors in diagnosing critical respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, ARDS and COVID-19.
But turning that vision into reality took more than just an idea. Nhật brought together a multidisciplinary team of clinical doctors from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCM City, AI engineers from King’s College London and the University of Oxford and researchers from the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit.
Each partner played a critical role: providing real patient data, developing image processing tools, building AI algorithms and evaluating performance in clinical settings.
The project took over three years. It began with collecting thousands of lung ultrasound images from intensive care patients. This was followed by nearly a year of AI model development using deep learning, rigorously tested and validated by medical experts.
The final model was then trialled on real patients to assess its feasibility and effectiveness in clinical practice.
The results were impressive: the AI system could accurately detect abnormalities in lung ultrasound scans, reduce the time needed to interpret images and support doctors working under pressure.
The findings were published in Critical Care, one of the world’s top journals in intensive care medicine.
“But perhaps more important than the outcome,” Nhật said, “was the lesson in collaboration. A doctor can’t build an AI model alone, and an AI engineer can’t fully understand clinical needs.”
He credits the project’s success to a shared mindset: no one works alone. That spirit enabled the transition from lab to bedside – from academic concept to deployable solution – and opened the door to scaling the technology in other healthcare systems, especially in resource-limited countries like Việt Nam.
Nhật sees more and more young Vietnamese researchers adopting this collaborative model. Engineers in electronics and mechanics are now working closely with doctors to design biomedical equipment for hospitals.
The underlying message is clear: only by bridging disciplines can science, technology and medicine unlock their full potential.
A similar approach is shaping the work of Nguyễn Minh Triết, a research engineer at Archer Materials in Sydney, Australia.
With a background in physics and expertise in materials and semiconductor chips, Triết has learned that transforming individual ideas into shared, real-world solutions requires both risk-taking and adaptation.
Through years of collaboration with scientists across disciplines from Việt Nam and abroad, Triết has learned to align with his team’s goals and shift his own thinking toward practical applications.
Though trained in physics, he has since expanded his knowledge into chemistry, biomedical engineering and microelectronics – an effort that allows him to better contribute to and communicate within cross-disciplinary teams.
One of his team’s major achievements is a compact potassium sensor that allows patients to monitor their blood potassium levels at home, a potentially life-saving tool for those with kidney or heart conditions.
The project brought together specialists in physics, semiconductors, biomedical science and microelectronics from RMIT University and the University of Minnesota.
“Even the simplest idea can become reality with time and persistent effort,” Triết said. “What matters is open dialogue, mutual respect, discipline and collective dedication.”
He added that proactive engagement with colleagues builds trust and leads to stronger partnerships over time.
“Of course, interdisciplinary work isn’t always easy,” he admitted.
“Different technical languages and approaches can be a barrier. But once each person understands their role in the bigger picture, collaboration becomes the catalyst that turns ideas into real-world solutions.” — VNS