The Department of Tropical Diseases at Chợ Rẫy Hospital is one of southern Vietnam’s leading tertiary referral centres. It cares for the region’s most severe infectious complications and multi-organ cases, receiving referrals from hospitals across the area and responding to severe infections, local outbreaks and emerging pandemic threats.
Before her appointment, Dr Ngân served as Deputy Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases at Chợ Rẫy Hospital. Over more than a decade at the hospital, she has combined frontline clinical care with an active research career, managing patients with severe infectious diseases and acute poisoning while contributing to nationally and internationally recognised research in infectious diseases, toxicology and snakebite envenoming.
Dr Ngân completed her doctoral training through the OUCRU PhD programme and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by The Open University in 2022. Her research was supported by an international supervisory panel, led by Professor Jeremy Day (OUCRU and the University of Oxford), Professor William Hope (University of Liverpool), and Professor Trần Quang Bình (Hospital for Tropical Diseases and HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy).
Her PhD thesis, Tamoxifen-Boosted Antifungal Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis, focused on improving the understanding and treatment of central nervous system infections in Vietnam. Combining clinical epidemiology, a randomised controlled trial, microbiological investigations and cardiac safety analyses, Dr Ngân evaluated whether repurposing tamoxifen as an adjunct to standard antifungal therapy could accelerate fungal clearance and improve outcomes for patients with cryptococcal meningitis.
Her work also provided new insights into the epidemiology of CNS infections and the characteristics of Cryptococcus isolates in Vietnam, contributing evidence to support better management of this life-threatening disease in resource-limited settings.
Reflecting on her time as a doctoral student, Dr Ngân said: ‘My PhD journey at OUCRU reinforced my belief that the best research begins with real clinical questions and should ultimately improve patient care. Throughout the journey, I learned to embrace unexpected challenges as opportunities for growth and discovered the value of mentorship, collaboration, and international partnerships.
‘I am deeply grateful to my supervisors, colleagues, patients, and family, whose support made this journey possible. Those experiences continue to shape how I care for patients, lead my team, and approach research today.’
In her new role, Dr Thủy Ngân aims to strengthen the link between research and patient care, while supporting evidence-based practice, international collaboration and the development of future clinician-scientists. Her priorities include improving outcomes for patients with infectious diseases and acute poisoning in Vietnam.
Professor Lê Văn Tấn, Interim Director of OUCRU Ho Chi Minh City, shared: ‘Many congratulations to Dr Thủy Ngân on her appointment as Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases of Chợ Rẫy Hospital. As a clinician scientist, Dr Thủy Ngân is ideally positioned to bridge research, training and patient care.
‘We look forward to continuing the long-standing collaboration between OUCRU HCMC and Chợ Rẫy Hospital in medical research and capacity building in Vietnam. We wish Dr Thủy Ngân every success in her new role.’
