One of them is Nguyen Thanh Liem, a leading pediatric endoscopic surgeon, director of the Vinmec Research Institute for Stem Cell and Gene Technology, a biomedical institute belonging to Vinmec Healthcare in Hanoi.

He was the first in Vietnam to perform a laparoscopic surgery on a child in 1997 and to carry out kidney and liver transplants for children. More than 15 years ago he operated on and separated five pairs of conjoined twins.

Nguyen Thanh Liem, director of the Vinmec Research Institute
of Stem Cell and Gene Technology. Photo by VRISG.

Besides his stellar surgical career, Liem has also pioneered stem cell therapies for conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism at the Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology.

He has introduced robot-assisted surgery and other advanced technologies to bring life-changing treatments to children.

For his contributions over the years, Liem was awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize for Science and Technology last year.

The second Vietnamese in the magazine list, Nguyen Thi Hiep, is head of the biomedical engineering department at the International University, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.

She received the 2018 L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science International Rising Talent award for developing a smart nanoparticle gel that can accelerate tissue regeneration.

Nguyen Thi Hiep, head of the biomedical engineering department at
the International University, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo by VnExpress/Duc Toan.

She was also honored with the 2017 ASEAN-U.S. Science Prize for Women for her research on homecare solutions to reduce the pressure on the public healthcare system.

Every year since 2016 Asian Scientist has been compiling a list of Asia’s most outstanding researchers across a range of scientific disciplines.

To be acknowledged on this list, the honoree must have received a national or international award the previous year for his or her research. Alternatively, they have made a significant scientific discovery or provided leadership in academia or industry.

Last year too Vietnam had two scientists making it to the list. 

Asian Scientist is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights research and development news stories from Asia to a global audience. It is published by a team of professional science and medical journalists, with active contributors from industry and academia.