{"id":241408,"date":"2026-02-25T07:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=241408"},"modified":"2026-02-19T13:02:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T18:02:55","slug":"international-postdocs-at-uconn-pioneer-new-frontiers-in-drug-and-vaccine-delivery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2026\/02\/international-postdocs-at-uconn-pioneer-new-frontiers-in-drug-and-vaccine-delivery\/","title":{"rendered":"International Postdocs at UConn Pioneer New Frontiers in Drug and Vaccine Delivery\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

When postdoctoral researchers\u00a0Hoang Quan Truong and Cao Thuy Giang Nguyen\u00a0arrived at UConn in the spring of 2025, they brought with them more than technical\u00a0expertise. They carried a global perspective shaped by years of international experiences and a common goal of\u00a0improving\u00a0lifesaving treatments\u00a0around the world.<\/p>\n

UConn\u2019s international research community plays a vital role in driving this work forward. Through the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, scholars like Giang and Quan bring diverse experiences and ideas to campus, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration. Originally from Vietnam, the married couple completed their Ph.D. programs in South Korea before spending a year as postdoctoral researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. These experiences broadened their scientific outlook and prepared them for the collaborative research environment they were seeking next.<\/p>\n

\"Cao
Cao Thuy Giang Nguyen\u00a0(contributed photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That search led them to\u00a0the\u00a0Nguyen Research Group<\/a> under Thanh Nguyen, an associate professor in the College of Engineering\u2019s School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering. The pair were drawn to the Nguyen Group\u2019s innovative approach and diverse group of researchers, looking for a place that would provide strong industry connections and a supportive environment. At the intersection of biomaterials, nano\/micro-technology, and medicine, this would be the perfect place to build upon seven years of prior research for Giang and Quan.<\/p>\n

Giang\u2019s\u00a0research\u00a0centers\u00a0on\u00a0precision treatment,\u00a0using\u00a0extracellular vesicles\u00a0\u2013 tiny \u201cbubbles\u201d \u2013 to deliver\u00a0brain cancer treatment.\u00a0Guided by\u00a0acoustic cues,\u00a0each bubble\u00a0will release\u00a0its\u00a0drug\u00a0only when it reaches the targeted region in the brain.\u00a0By designing treatments that work in harmony with human biology, Gian aims to improve effectiveness while minimizing side effects.\u00a0While\u00a0her current focus is on brain cancer, the technology holds promise far beyond this single application, and she hopes to expand its use to treating a wide range of diseases.<\/p>\n

Working alongside Giang in the same lab, Quan is developing next-generation vaccine delivery systems designed to overcome some of the biggest obstacles in global health. Quan\u2019s work focuses on reimagining how vaccines are delivered, using lipid-based nanoparticles to make them more stable, more effective, and easier to distribute\u2014 especially in regions where ultra-cold storage and traditional syringe-based delivery create major barriers. Many existing vaccines degrade at higher temperatures, accumulate in non-target organs such as the\u00a0liver, or create\u00a0large amounts\u00a0of medical waste. Quan is developing a new vaccine system that remain active at higher, more practical temperatures, and that can be directed to\u00a0specific organs, tissues, and cell types such as spleen, lymph nodes, and immune cells. He is also exploring microneedle patches that can deliver vaccines as a needle-free alternative that could simplify immunization efforts globally.<\/p>\n

Together, Giang and Quan\u2019s work illustrates the dynamic synergy at the heart of the Nguyen Research Group, where interdisciplinary thinking and materials\u2011driven innovation fuel new solutions in drug and vaccine delivery. Their complementary approaches focused on precision targeting and accessible vaccination highlight how shared expertise can accelerate discovery. As Thanh Nguyen notes, \u201cI am very proud of [them]. I am lucky to have them in the lab. They are great examples for international scholars who are intellectual and hard-working while always willing to help other lab members [with their] work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hoang
Hoang Quan Truong (contributed photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Their partnership reflects a broader truth: UConn\u2019s research culture thrives when international scholars bring their perspectives, skills, and curiosity to shared scientific challenges.<\/p>\n

Beyond their scientific work, both researchers emphasize the supportive environment they found at UConn.\u00a0They highlight not only the quality of facilities and equipment, but also a culture of collaboration that extends across labs and departments.\u00a0When specialized\u00a0instruments were unavailable in their own lab, colleagues across the university readily shared resources to help them move their research forward.<\/p>\n

Outside the lab, Giang has especially valued UConn\u2019s efforts to celebrate and support postdoctoral scholars through events such as Postdoc Research Day and career development programming\u2014\u00a0opportunities that she has not\u00a0encountered\u00a0previously. Quan notes that while the University\u2019s reputation as a research institution originally drew him to campus, it is the\u00a0connections\u00a0that he has built with colleagues, faculty, and staff that\u00a0have made his experience particularly meaningful.<\/p>\n

Giang and Quan reflected on their journeys,\u00a0emphasizing that success as an international scholar begins with finding the right environment and the right people. Giang encourages future students to \u201cfind the best match in the research environment\u201d,\u00a0noting that\u00a0the right\u00a0Principal Investigator\u00a0will shape the postdoctoral experience. Quan echoes the importance of mentorship while urging scholars to think beyond the present moment.\u00a0He\u00a0advises scholars to\u00a0have a clear pathway of what they want\u00a0beyond their postdoctoral\u00a0experience but\u00a0reminds them that building relationships is just as crucial.\u00a0\u201cEveryone contributes different\u00a0value\u00a0to your life and career,\u201d Quan says\u2014 a perspective shaped by the friendships, mentorship, and\u00a0community\u00a0they have found at UConn.<\/p>\n

Together, Giang and Quan\u2019s work\u00a0reflects\u00a0the\u00a0collaborative nature of research\u00a0at UConn where diverse perspectives\u00a0and interdisciplinary collaboration\u00a0move ideas forward.\u00a0As\u00a0their research continues to advance\u00a0new approaches\u00a0to drug and vaccine delivery, their journeys underscore how UConn\u2019s global research community is shaping innovations that extend far beyond campus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Together they are developing technologies that make treatments safer, more precise, and more accessible worldwide<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":211486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2708,1866,88,2467,1822,2076,2235,2225],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1902],"class_list":["post-241408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biotech","category-engr","category-global-affairs","category-global-cultures-perspectives","category-postdoc","category-research","category-today-homepage","category-uconn-storrs"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-29 17:05:00","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241408"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241411,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241408\/revisions\/241411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/211486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241408"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=241408"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=241408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}