Dr Nguyen Thi Hiep, a lecturer from the Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, has been honoured at the university for winning the first prize at the 2017 ASEAN-US science competition.

Earlier, the US Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced Hiep as the winner of the third annual ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women, sponsored by ASEAN, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and UL.

The award ceremony took place in Myanmar city of Nay Pyi Taw on October 19 with the presence of ASEAN science and technology ministers and senior officials.

Dr Hiep, a leading researcher and lecturer at the Biomedical Engineering Faculty of the International University under the Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, received US$20,000 for her exceptional research on using at-home healthcare solutions to reduce pressure placed upon urban healthcare systems. 

“Migration from rural to urban areas has put a lot of pressure on healthcare services in big cities. With ‘smart’ medical devices and biomaterials, it will be possible to take care of people in their homes,” she said.

The 2017 ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women supports promising early-career women scientists in the ASEAN region and encourages collaboration between ASEAN member states and the US to seek sustainable solutions for urban centers across Southeast Asia.

VNA