Chemistry, a Chip and a Drop of Blood: NIC AU Experts Present Medical Innovations to Vietnam's Minister of Health
In mid-June, a delegation from Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, led by Minister Đào Hồng Lan, visited leading universities and research institutes across Australia. The delegation included senior leaders from the Ministry’s departments and bureaux, alongside representatives from major Vietnamese hospitals, research institutes and healthcare enterprises.
At UNSW Sydney, two members of NIC AU’s Expert Council presented their work to the Minister — one speaking to the molecular world of chemistry, the other to the microscopic world of the semiconductor chip.
Chemistry as the “central science” of healthcare
The first presenter was a familiar face to a whole generation of Vietnamese: Professor Nguyễn Thành Vinh, runner-up of the first season of Đường lên đỉnh Olympia, Silver Medallist at the 2000 International Chemistry Olympiad, and the actor behind “Nam Một Sách” in the television series Phía trước là bầu trời. Twenty-five years on from that role, he is now one of Australia’s most influential chemists — and a Senior Advisor to NIC AU.
Professor Vinh’s presentation focused not on drugs or machines, but on chemistry itself as the central science underpinning human health. He outlined four foundational roles chemistry plays in modern medicine:
- 💊 Next-generation drug and vaccine design — such as lipid nanoparticles that encapsulate and protect mRNA
- 🩻 Early diagnosis — contrast agents used in MRI and CT scans that allow doctors to detect disease at the molecular level, before symptoms appear
- 🦴 Medical materials — cardiovascular stents, artificial joints, bioabsorbable sutures and tissue scaffolds
- 🎯 Targeted therapy — drugs that release only within the acidic environment of a tumour, maximising effectiveness while minimising side effects
A biochip that reads a drop of blood
Continuing the story at a very different scale was Dr Nguyễn Minh Triết, Academic Chair of NIC AU and a semiconductor design specialist at Archer Materials, a semiconductor company based in Sydney.
Dr Triết introduced the BIOCHIP platform — ultra-miniaturised sensors mounted directly onto a semiconductor chip, capable of reading critical blood biomarkers from a single drop of blood. Its first application measures potassium levels for kidney patients, allowing them to monitor their condition at home rather than relying on regular clinic visits. The platform is also being expanded to measure lithium drug concentrations, helping doctors adjust dosages more safely.
Two presentations, one message
Two presentations, two very different worlds — molecules and circuits — but a shared message: the knowledge of Vietnamese experts overseas can genuinely help solve healthcare challenges back home.
The story did not end in Australia. Following a proposal from NIC AU, Minister Đào Hồng Lan agreed that Ministry of Health leadership and experts would accompany the AURORA Scientific Research Awards 2026, to be held later this year in Hanoi.
A chip that reads a drop of blood. A molecule that only opens upon contact with a tumour. And a bridge of knowledge connecting the halls of UNSW with the hospitals waiting back home.