Tran Vuong The Vinh, 30, is currently a PhD doctor specializing in stem cells in Vietnam. He obtained a master's degree from Sheffield University in the UK and a doctorate from Seoul National University (Korea). 

Vinh had many job choices, but he decided to return to Vietnam at the age of 29 to apply mesenchymal stem cells derived from autologous fat to treat aesthetic, dermatological and internal medical problems.

Wanting to become a doctor when he was a student at the HCM City High School for the Gifted under the HCM City City National University, after finishing high school, Vinh passed the entrance exam to the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

During his time at hospital and working part-time at the clinic, Vinh faced surgeries related to fat grafting. At that time, “stem cells” became a common term. However, at the school, the student could not find a subject that provided knowledge about this major. 

Curious and skeptical about the actual effectiveness of this therapy, Vinh was determined to learn more about stem cells and regenerative medicine. 

At the end of the 5th year at school, when most students were busy preparing for exams to become resident doctors, Vinh decided to go to a country that had gained great achievements in the field, even though he did not fully understand the concepts and was not sure about the future of the field.

He spent all his time to study the field and prepare for IELTS. His targeted destinations were European countries, such as Italy, France, Germany and the UK. However, many schools in Europe do not accept Vietnamese degrees, while others require at least one-year experience at medical facilities. 

Finally, two schools accepted Vinh and he chose to study Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Sheffield.

In 2019, before leaving for the UK, Vinh worked as a teaching assistant in Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine (now the University of Health Sciences) at the HCM City National University.

In the first year of study for master’s degree, with inspiration from teachers, Vinh received firm foundation, but he was still not satisfied with his achievements because he still could not use the knowledge in real life.

In the last months of study for his master's degree, Vinh began preparing a topic of research for PhD study - clinical application of mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue in aesthetics and dermatology.

With the proposal, Vinh became a PhD student at Seoul National University before he received the master’s degree.

Recalling the days, he said his major worry going to South Korea was that professors’ studies might not match his interests. Luckily, the professors’ research coincided with what Vinh wanted to study.

With guidance from famous professors, Vinh published eight articles on international scientific journals as first author, including six articles related to mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue

Not only conducting research, Vinh participated in weekly plastic surgeries at the hospital, and assisted resident doctors to research, write manuscripts and prepare topics for presentation at the faculty’s meetings. He received six scholarships from Seoul National University and completed his doctoral program within two years.

With the achievements, Vinh could meet the requirements and was invited to work at the school as a research professor.

The invitation was a good choice for Vinh. He understood that the facilities and disciplinary conditions could help him study and practice.

However, Vinh’s initial plan was not to devote himself to research. He wanted to apply the knowledge in real life. Therefore, in March 2024, he returned to Vietnam to work for a private hospital, where he is head of the team on stem cells.

Vinh still keeps in contact with large research institutes and hospitals in South Korea, and works with them to conduct research projects. 

He believes that stem cell study is still a new topic in Vietnam, but the potential is huge. He wants to share his knowledge about stem cells and their true potential, and he hopes he will become a teacher in the field.

Thuy Nga