Girl pursues cancer research since age 19

INVITATED BY 8 UNIVERSITIES IN THE US FOR DOCTORAL INTERVIEWS

Born and raised in Da Nang, her parents planned for her to study abroad since she was young, so at the age of 15, Nguyen Thi Sao Ly (now 30 years old) went to the US and began her journey to conquer knowledge and pursue scientific research.

Ly (2nd from left) was an intern for Novartis Group.

Sao Ly has been constantly striving to achieve her goals. After graduating from The King's Academy High School in California, she was accepted by many universities in the US. She chose to study at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated Summa Cum Laude (the highest honor in the US education system - PV) in biology, minor in evolutionary medicine.

One year after graduating from university, the girl from Da Nang was invited to interview for a doctorate from 8 universities in the US, the most prominent of which was a scholarship worth 9.3 billion VND from Johns Hopkins University.

"The reason I came to Johns Hopkins University was because there were so many interviews that I couldn't attend all of them. And when I went to the school to attend the interview, I felt that this was a place with a very good environment for self-development. Moreover, this is also one of the schools that is quite famous for the research field that I want to pursue. And fortunately, I had a good experience studying for a doctorate, gained more skills and developed myself a lot," Ly recounted.

Ly and Professor Douglas Robinson at Johns Hopkins University (USA)

PUBLISHED MANY INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

Ly shared that she started pursuing oncology at the age of 19. "I realized that in Vietnam, the rate of people with cancer is increasing, but the treatment methods for this disease are still quite limited. This makes me worried, it is no different from a danger and will happen to me, my relatives and my compatriots at any time. That is the motivation for me to learn more about this disease and want to use my knowledge to contribute a small part to finding ways to treat cancer," Ly worried.

During her research, Ly published 6 international scientific articles, including 1 research work in a journal with an impact factor IF 10.5 in 2020. Talking about the secret to having many international scientific articles, Ly shared: "It's simply trying to do your best and working hard to research. Because scientific research has only two goals, first, with basic science is to publish scientific articles so that what you find becomes human knowledge. Second, with clinical science, how to come up with new, more advanced methods to save patients. And during my doctoral studies, my goal is closely linked to the first goal."

Ly once attracted attention when she won a 9.3 billion VND doctoral scholarship.

After a period of research, Ly has gained more skills and knowledge about cancer. So now, instead of just studying and researching theoretically, she wants to find a cure. "My current job is focused on finding a cure for liver cancer and leukemia. The knowledge I have learned has been applied in practice and one day in the near future will help cancer patients," Ly said.

Previously, the young female doctor was an intern for Novartis Corporation, the world's second largest pharmaceutical corporation and a pioneer in the field of cancer treatment using cell therapy. Ly is currently a senior scientist at Intellia Therapeutics Pharmaceutical Company. Her job is to research and improve cell therapy to treat leukemia and liver cancer for patients.

Mark Jacob (25 years old), an American, Ly's colleague at the pharmaceutical company Intellia Therapeutics, shared: "At work, Ly is extremely hard-working and she is a motivation for all of us. She is also a very strong, tough and persistent girl, I feel that nothing can stop her from moving forward. Ly is also a great, friendly friend that everyone can talk to."

Meanwhile, Professor Douglas Robinson (Ly's supervisor during her time at Johns Hopkins University) was very proud that Ly was his first graduate student to become the sole lead author of a major research paper. Professor Robinson commented that Ly was very active and reliable in all laboratory activities, from research to guidance and mentoring of the next generation.

"Ly does a great job and the project progresses quickly. Ly's organizational skills have also improved over the years. Her strengths are her diligence and perseverance. I admire her determination, enthusiasm, passion and perfectionism," said Professor Robinson.

After more than 14 years of studying and living in a modern educational environment like the US, and interacting with friends from all over the world, Ly realized that in terms of ability, knowledge, and diligence, young Vietnamese people are not inferior to foreigners. However, there are two things that young foreigners excel at: confidence and independence. "They confidently say and do what they think, boldly defend their own views and opinions. However, what I have over them is diligence, always striving to move forward and not giving up in the face of difficulties," Ly said.

Sharing about her upcoming plans, Ly said: "I want to develop my career to the highest level possible, so it will be easier for me in the US. But if Vietnam gives me the opportunity to develop my abilities, of course returning to Vietnam to help my homeland is always the thought in my mind."

The girl from Da Nang also shared that the past years in the US have trained her to become an independent, knowledgeable, mature, strong woman who takes her life into her own hands. "I am starting a new life with more self-love, more confidence and optimism, as well as peace of mind," Ly shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/co-gai-theo-duoi-nghien-cuu-khoa-hoc-ung-thu-tu-nam-19-tuoi-185230724205033783.htm