The immune system defends our body from bacteria, viruses, parasites, cancer cells, etc. to ensure its healthy state despite exposure to pathogens. There is a strong connection between the immune system and patients with infections as well as cancer patients. At VinUniversity, Professor Huynh Dinh Chien and his first-year students at College of Health Sciences are building an aggregated database as foundation for effective measurement of patients’ immune system towards early research-based diagnoses for septicemia patients as well as colorectal cancer patients.

At VinUniversity, various opportunities are available for students to participate in research projects under the supervision of leading Professors and faculty members, to experience “real study – real practice” in pragmatic environments. Under the supervision of Professor Chien and resident doctor Nguyen Duy Nghia, the two freshmen Vinh Bao Tuan and Luu Bao Linh had experienced for the very first time the procedure of launching a research with writing inclusion and exclusion criteria for patient selection, blood sample collection, researching literature on immune system, cancer and infections to consider while analyzing the collected sample’s test results.

The research introduced a new approach to a conventional matter: measuring the immune system with computer algorithm-based Machine Learning/ Deep Learning to give early diagnoses about stages of disease, evaluate potential risks of disease worsening, as well as recommend appropriate treatment scheme for patients. This is also the first comprehensive immunology study on Vietnamese patients, including 79 cellular markers and 27 humoral parameters and is highly expected to be the critical bridging for multiple domestic research orientations on immunity as well as immunity features of Vietnamese.

Luu Bao Linh, first-year Medical Doctor student, who currently partaking in the project as a research assistant noted: “I now realize that healthcare profession cannot rely solely on the doctor’s medical knowledge, it also requires the close collaboration between science and technology. I have gained valuable knowledge about Machine Learning/ Deep Learning, which I have never imagined to have chance to access since I’m a medical student.”

Given the scale of the first admission batch of 230 students, the current student-to-faculty ratios at VinUniversity is 6:1 which is an ideal ratio being maintained by many of the world’s leading universities. This advantage has enabled VinUniversity students to easily access more opportunities for orientation, support and advising from various Professors and faculty members towards tailoring their own path for personal growth. Simultaneously, students are also encouraged to actively participate in scientific researches and articles for journal publication with their Professors and faculty members at VinUniversity, who are highly experienced in conducting researches and working at many global leading universities. Inter-disciplinary learning is always at the center of VinUniversity’s efforts to motivate students of College of Business and Management, College of Computer Science and College of Health Sciences to participate in scientific researches of their major while accumulating useful knowledge of other fields.

There are nearly 20 researches proposals currently under execution at VinUniversity by its own professors and faculty members with the participation of a large number of first-year students. Our #Research@VinUni article series will in turn unfold numerous exciting research topics by our Professor, Faculty members andespecially projects contributed by our students at Vin University since their very first academic year.