Truong Nguyen Xuan Quynh, PhD, MPH, MSW
College of Health Sciences
Assistant Professor
Biography
Dr. Truong Nguyen Xuan Quynh is Vietnam’s first palliative care social worker and a nationally recognized leader in medical social work, whose work has transformed the integration of psychosocial support into the healthcare system. Her career is dedicated to advancing psychosocial care in healthcare, serious illness communication, and equitable access to care for underserved communities.
Dr. Quynh earned her Ph.D. in Health Policy and Management, focusing on palliative care systems and health equity from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) where she got her first master degree. As a Fulbright Scholar, she completed a Master of Social Work in the clinical health and mental health track at Boston College (USA), where she also undertook a two-year advanced clinical field placement at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital.
Before joining VinUniversity as Assistant Professor and Executive Chair of the Resident Thesis Program, Dr. Quynh served as Lecturer at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City; Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Palliative Care at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City;
Her leadership extends nationally and globally. She is an elected member of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Palliative Health Care Association and, in 2020, collaborated with a World Health Organization–commissioned team to design the Essential Package of Palliative Care for Women with Cervical Cancer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she coordinated the AVSE Global Taskforce, advising the Government of Vietnam on public health strategies, and now serves as the association’s Mental Health Lead. Internationally, she is Chair of the Sustainability and Global Health Theme at AMEE 2025 and AMEE 2026, the world’s largest health professional education conference.
Dr. Quynh’s pioneering contributions have earned her prestigious recognition globally. She was awarded the 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalyst Award by the Boston Congress of Public Health (USA) in 2022 and named to the 40 Under 40 in Cancer list by the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC, USA) in 2025, honoring her leadership in advancing cancer care and palliative services in Vietnam.
- Medical Social Work/ Social Medicine
- Health Policy
- Mental Health
- Palliative Care
- Health Policy, Health Economic, Health System and Health Management
- Advanced Communication in Health Care
- Project Management
- Medical Social Work
- Psychosocial Care in Oncology and Palliative Care
- Clinical Counseling Skills
- Nguyen Truong, Q. X., Van Le, P., Rodgers, R., & Bui, E. (2025). Advancing psychiatry training in low and middle-income countries: the case for Vietnam. International Journal of Mental Health, 1-3.
- Truong, Q. X. N., Dai, D. L., Duong, K. D. D., Herman, B., & Taneepanichskul, S. (2024). Anxiety and depression in palliative care cancer patients in Vietnam: baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of multidisciplinary palliative care versus standard care. Journal of Health Research, 38(2), 2.
- Truong, Q. X. N., Than, T. N. H., Le Dai, D., Duong, K. D., Krakauer, E. L., Herman, B., & Taneepanichskul, S. (2024). Inclusion of social work in comprehensive palliative care to address psychosocial needs of advanced cancer patients in Vietnam. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 1-14.
- Krakauer EL, Kane K, Kwete X, Afshan G, Bazzett-Matabele L, Ruthnie Bien-Aimé DD, Borges LF, Byrne-Martelli S, Connor S, Correa R, Devi CRB, Diop M, Elmore SN, Gafer N, Goodman A, Grover S, Hasenburg A, Irwin K, Kamdar M, Kumar S, Nguyen Truong QX, Randall T, Rassouli M, Sessa C, Spence D, Trimble T, Varghese C, Fidarova E. Augmented Package of Palliative Care for Women With Cervical Cancer: Responding to Refractory Suffering. JCO Glob Oncol. 2021 Jun;7:886-895. doi: 10.1200/GO.21.00027. PMID: 34115537; PMCID: PMC8457849.
- Krakauer EL, Kane K, Kwete X, Afshan G, Bazzett-Matabele L, Ruthnie Bien-Aimé DD, Borges LF, Byrne-Martelli S, Connor S, Correa R, Devi CRB, Diop M, Elmore SN, Gafer N, Goodman A, Grover S, Hasenburg A, Irwin K, Kamdar M, Kumar S, Truong QXN, Randall T, Rassouli M, Sessa C, Spence D, Trimble T, Varghese C, Fidarova E. Essential Package of Palliative Care for Women With Cervical Cancer: Responding to the Suffering of a Highly Vulnerable Population. JCO Glob Oncol. 2021 Jun;7:873-885. doi: 10.1200/GO.21.00026. PMID: 34115527; PMCID: PMC8457866.
- Krakauer EL, Kwete X, Kane K, Afshan G, Bazzett-Matabele L, Bien-Aimé DDR, Byrne-Martelli S, Connor S, Correa R, Devi CRB, Diop M, Gafer N, Goodman A, Grover S, Hasenburg A, Irwin K, Thanh Khanh Q, Kumar S, Nevzorova D, Truong QXN, Rajagopal MR, Randall T, Rassouli M, Sessa C, Spence D, Torode JS, Trimble T, Varghese C, Fidarova E. Cervical Cancer-Associated Suffering: Estimating the Palliative Care Needs of a Highly Vulnerable Population. JCO Glob Oncol. 2021 Jun;7:862-872. doi: 10.1200/GO.21.00025. PMID: 34115522; PMCID: PMC8457813.
- 2018–2024 PhD of Public Health – Health Policy and Management Specialization Chulalongkorn University College of Public Health Science, Bangkok, Thailand
- 2020–2022 Master of Social Work – MSW – Health and Mental Health Social Work Concentration Boston College, Boston, MA (USA)
- 2017–2018 Master of Public Health – MPH – Health Policy and Management Chulalongkorn University College of Public Health Science, Bangkok, Thailand Sponsor: Graduate Scholarship Program for ASEAN – Chulalongkorn University
- 2008–2012 Bachelor of Social Work – BA
- Vietnam National University – University of Social Science and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) (HCMUSSH)
