On March 10, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) announced a list of 36 leading experts elected as members. These individuals are scientists and engineers recognized for outstanding contributions across science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.

Among them is Dr Thanh Nguyen (Nguyen Duc Thanh), Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. His election to CASE acknowledges his exceptional scientific contributions, particularly in pioneering fields.

According to CASE, he was honored for his research on biodegradable piezoelectric materials and microneedle vaccine patches capable of self-boosting immune responses. His work has advanced biomedical engineering through innovative biomaterials and translational technologies, contributing to improved global health and strengthening scientific innovation in Connecticut.

Journey from Da Nang to leading global universities

Nguyen Duc Thanh was born in 1984 in Da Nang and was a physics-specialized student at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted. He later graduated from the advanced engineering program in physics at Hanoi University of Science and Technology before pursuing doctoral studies in the US.

In 2013, he earned a PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University, where he contributed to the development of bio-integrated nano piezoelectric materials - a field combining materials science, electronics and biology at the nanoscale.

He then conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under the guidance of Professor Robert Langer, focusing on platforms for fabricating 3D microstructures from biomaterials.

Since 2016, he has been working at the University of Connecticut, pursuing interdisciplinary research at the intersection of engineering, materials science and biomedicine.

Nguyen Duc Thanh was also named one of Vietnam’s 10 Outstanding Young Faces in 2018.

Pioneering biomaterials and next-generation medical technologies

His research centers on transforming biodegradable materials - such as polymers used in surgical sutures and natural amino acids - into “smart” structures at the nano and micro scale.

He developed the SEAL platform technology, enabling the fabrication of three-dimensional microstructures from biodegradable polymers. This breakthrough has led to the creation of microneedle patches capable of delivering multiple vaccine doses over time with a single application, offering a potential alternative to traditional injections.

In the field of biodegradable piezoelectric materials, he and his team have created materials that convert mechanical force into electrical signals. These innovations could be applied in self-degrading implantable devices, sensors monitoring internal organ pressure, or drug delivery systems capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier - one of the major challenges in treating diseases such as brain cancer.

His research also extends to applications including biodegradable medical materials, artificial cartilage and medical devices that do not require surgical removal, helping reduce risks for patients.

To date, he holds more than 20 patents in biomedical engineering and has secured millions of US dollars in research funding from federal agencies and scientific foundations.

International recognition and technology commercialization

His work has been published in leading scientific journals such as Science, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Communications, PNAS and Advanced Materials, and has been featured by major media outlets including The New York Times, BBC and The Guardian.

He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the NIH Trailblazer Award for Young Investigators, the Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 Asia-Pacific and the Young Investigator Award from the journal Biomaterials.

Beyond academia, he has co-founded technology startups to bring laboratory innovations into real-world applications, particularly in microneedle vaccine technology and bio-piezoelectric materials.

In a conversation with Da Nang Newspaper, he shared that he remains deeply connected to his homeland and envisions building a structured biomedical engineering training program in Vietnam - a field still facing a shortage of high-quality human resources.

“Biomedical engineering is inherently interdisciplinary, requiring substantial investment and long-term strategy. Vietnam has strong potential, but needs systematic development in human resources,” he said.

Hoang Linh