Building Genomics Capacity for Vietnam’s Public Health and Research Community

The five-day workshop was designed to strengthen practical skills in microbial genomics and bioinformatics, with a focus on applications in clinical microbiology, infectious disease research, and public health surveillance. Delivered in Vietnamese by researchers from OUCRU’s Molecular Epidemiology Group, the course combined lectures, hands-on computational exercises, and real-world case studies to support participants with diverse levels of prior experience.

Participants explored the foundations of whole-genome sequencing (WGS), genome assembly, phylogenetic analysis, and metagenomic sequencing, while gaining experience using widely adopted bioinformatics tools and workflows. Sessions covered topics ranging from bacterial genome analysis and antimicrobial resistance gene identification to outbreak investigation and pathogen detection using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS).

Around 40 participants from local hospitals, public health institutions and hospitals joined the workshop. Images: OUCRU

The workshop also introduced participants to practical data analysis environments and cloud-based computational tools, enabling attendees to build confidence in handling sequencing datasets independently. By working through real genomic datasets and simulated clinical scenarios, participants gained insight into how genomic technologies can support infectious disease diagnostics, surveillance, and research in Vietnam and beyond.

The training reflects OUCRU’s ongoing commitment to strengthening scientific and public health capacity in the region through accessible, locally delivered training initiatives. By bringing together researchers, clinicians, laboratory scientists, and public health professionals from multiple institutions, the workshop also created opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange across Vietnam’s infectious disease research community.

The course was led by Dr. Pham Thanh Duy, Head of the Molecular Epidemiology Group at OUCRU, together with lecturers and teaching assistants from the group, including Dr. Chung The Hao, Nguyen Pham Nhu Quynh, Ton Ngoc Minh Quan, and Mai Thu Si Nguyen.

The course was coordinated and led by members of the Molecular Epidemiology Group at OUCRU. Image: OUCRU

As genomic technologies continue to play an increasingly important role in infectious disease research and outbreak response, initiatives such as this workshop contribute to building the local expertise needed to support future research, diagnostics, and public health preparedness in Vietnam.