Childhood memories in her mother's laboratory shaped Nguyen Vu Thao Tram's dream of becoming a scientist. Before finishing university, she was accepted into a PhD program at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
Although she qualified for admission to the Hanoi Medical University's prestigious medical program, Nguyen Vu Thao Tram chose instead to study biology, inspired by the legacy of her late mother. Four years later, before completing her bachelor's degree, she earned admission to a PhD program at one of Asia's leading universities.
Choosing biology to continue her mother's legacy
Born in 2004, Tram recently graduated with Distinction from the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, where she ranked second in her graduating class in Biology's Honors Science Program.
Her mother had once studied biology at the same university before becoming a lecturer at the University of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University. As a child, Tram often accompanied her mother to the laboratory, fascinated by microscopes and scientific instruments. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong passion for biology.
"My mother has always been my role model," Tram says.
Nguyen Vu Thao Tram graduated with Distinction from the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Photo: Courtesy of the subject.
When Tram was eight years old, her mother became the youngest woman to be appointed an associate professor in biology in 2012. Watching her mother's dedication to scientific research inspired Tram to dream of becoming a scientist herself.
That dream took on even greater meaning when tragedy struck. While Tram was in seventh grade, her mother passed away unexpectedly. The loss was devastating, but it also strengthened her determination to continue the research path her mother had left unfinished.
In high school, Tram attended the Biology Gifted Program at Thai Nguyen High School for the Gifted, where she won a Third Prize in Vietnam's National Excellent Student Competition. Although she achieved the scores required for admission to Hanoi Medical University's medical program, she chose to enroll in biology at the University of Science instead.
Entering university proved more challenging than she expected. The workload was heavier, courses were more specialized, and learning relied far more on independent study than classroom instruction. Her first-semester results fell short of her own expectations.
Realizing that hard work alone was not enough, Tram developed new study habits. She learned to research independently, ask deeper questions and connect knowledge across different subjects. She also formed a close-knit study group with classmates who complemented one another's strengths by sharing materials, discussing difficult topics and solving problems together.
"We all shared the same goal, so we constantly encouraged one another and improved together," she says.
Alongside her coursework, Tram joined a research laboratory. However, the demanding honors curriculum left little time for practical training, and she received the lowest score in her laboratory entrance skills assessment.
"I was shocked by the result. It made me determined to work much harder," she recalls.
From then on, she spent nearly all of her spare time in the laboratory, patiently refining every experimental technique and research skill.
Winning a PhD scholarship before graduation
Tram hopes to follow the same research path that inspired her mother. Photo: Courtesy of the subject.
A turning point came during her third year, when Tram joined a two-month research exchange program at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.
There, she participated for the first time in research on biosynthesis and genome editing under the supervision of university professors.
At the end of the program, one of her mentors encouraged her to return to NTU to continue her academic journey.
According to Tram, those two months fundamentally changed how she viewed scientific research.
"I experienced a highly professional academic environment and had the opportunity to work with leading professors. When I returned to Vietnam, I knew I wanted to pursue research much more seriously," she says.
After returning home, she focused her research on applying gene-editing technology to cancer research. Beginning in the early stages of her third year, she spent virtually every weekend in the laboratory, allowing her research skills to improve rapidly.
Her project later won First Prize in the university's undergraduate scientific research competition. She also became the lead author of a scientific paper published in Vietnam.
Tram also received a scholarship supporting the development of young scientists. Photo: Courtesy of the subject.
In October 2025, Tram began preparing applications for overseas study. Alongside an outstanding GPA, her application included recommendation letters from respected professors and associate professors with whom she had conducted research.
She believes the most important stage of the selection process, however, was the 15-minute interview.
"The admissions committee wasn't interested in listing achievements. They wanted to know how well I understood my research, where the knowledge gaps were, and what direction I wanted to pursue in the future," she says.
To prepare for that brief interview, Tram spent two weeks developing her presentation, reviewing every stage of her research and anticipating technical questions about her future research plans.
In May 2026, during her final semester as an undergraduate, Tram received notification that she had been admitted to NTU's PhD program.
"It was something I never imagined when I first entered university," she says.
She now plans to continue researching gene-editing technologies with a focus on improving cancer resistance and treatment at NTU in Singapore.
"I hope to continue pursuing the path of scientific research, just as my mother always hoped I would."
Vietnamnet.vn
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