August 2025 – date
Assistant Professor, College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam. Adjunct Faculty (June 2021-July 2025)
Research:
Contributed to VinCAPR data analysis and dissemination
Contributed to the VinCohort data analysis and dissemination
Coauthored the upgrading of the Green Feeding Tool and global Human Milk Bank Costing Tool, contributing to the online tool and one manuscript (2024).
Teaching:
· Lectured Nutrition and Food Hygiene (MEDI3050).
· Lectured Big Idea: Climate Change, Nutrition, and Health (IDEA1014).
Guest lectured at the University of Southern California.
June 2022 – July 2025
Regional Technical Advisor in Measurement, Learning and Evaluation, Alive & Thrive East Asia Pacific (EAP), FHI 360.
Member and Co-Lead in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI+), APRO Regional Council, FHI 360 APRO (June 2022 – January 2025).
Technical leadership in research, knowledge management, learning and innovation in low- and middle-income countries:
Co-authored 30 peer-reviewed papers, seven regional or national guidelines and reports, and delivered 31 presentations at international scientific or policy-related conferences.
Oversaw the research portfolio of Alive & Thrive EAP. Supported research activities at A&T headquarters and in the South Asia, East Africa, and West Africa regions, as well as other FHI 360 units.
Served as a member of the development group for the global Mothers’ Milk Tool, contributing to the offline and online tool, three manuscripts, launching events, and related materials (2021 – 2022).
Served as a member of the development group for the global Green Feeding Tool, contributing to the offline and online tool, two manuscripts, launching events, and related materials (2022 – 2023).
Played a key role in the development of the global Human Milk Bank Costing Tool, contributing to the online tool and one manuscript (2024).
Built local research capacity to strengthen studies and publications related to maternal, infant, and young child nutrition; early essential newborn care; human milk banking; and the health workforce to inform policy and programs.
Guest lectured at the University of Southern California and VinUniversity. Mentored two exchange graduate students from the University of Southern California.
Increased the organization’s visibility through community service roles, including serving as a reviewer and guest editor for peer-reviewed journals and participating in national, regional, and international expert consultations.
Technical leadership in program management and policy advocacy:
Managed the Measurement, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) portfolio—including financial and human resources, contracts, and stakeholder engagement—in the East Asia Pacific (EAP) region to meet the high demands of FHI 360 and the expectations of donors and stakeholders.
Utilized data from routine health information systems, surveys, and literature to enhance efficiency and reduce the burden on the project’s MLE system.
Supported facility assessments, planning, and implementation of Human Milk Banks and early essential newborn care initiatives in Southeast Asia.
Mobilizing resources, collaborating, coordinating, networking:
Developed two research grant applications.
Established and maintained relationships with key donors (e.g., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Irish Aid), headquarters, staff, and partners.
Collaborated with the regional office and headquarters to enhance monitoring, evaluation, research, documentation, and dissemination of findings and project activities.
Contributed to the Nutrition Cluster & Partnership Group, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, and Zero Hunger Challenge networks in Vietnam.
Strengthen Psychological Safety and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at FHI 360
Scaled up national and regional teams on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI+).
Advanced the DEI+ vision by engaging staff in developing a DEI+ strategy and action plan, utilizing findings and frameworks from The Collective 180’s report.
Addressed structural and social barriers that hinder the advancement of DEI+ at all levels of FHI 360.
Expanded DEI+ activities across the Southeast Asia Pacific region and beyond.
Formulated DEI+ objectives and metrics to promote inclusivity and integrate these principles into personal development goals across the Southeast Asia Pacific region and beyond.
Contributed to the testing and implementation of AI and other innovative solutions to enhance organizational productivity and DEI+ initiatives.
Jan 2016 – May 2022
Regional Technical Specialist in Measurement, Learning and Evaluation, Alive & Thrive Southeast Asia, FHI 360.
Technical leadership in research, knowledge management, learning and innovation in low- and middle-income countries:
Co-authored 25 peer-reviewed papers, two research reports, one technical book (Concepts and Terminologies in Quantitative Studies in Health Sciences), and delivered 14 presentations at international scientific or policy-related conferences.
Oversaw the research portfolio of Alive & Thrive Southeast Asia.
Served as a member of the development group for the global Mothers’ Milk Tool, contributing to the offline and online tool, three manuscripts, launching events, and related materials (2021 – 2022).
Provided technical guidance as a Technical Advisor for a mixed-methods study, Characterizing HIV Epidemic Dynamics Among Clients Recently Enrolled in HIV Treatment in Hanoi, Vietnam (2020 – 2022).
Coordinated two studies in Vietnam under the research project Assessing the Effectiveness of Policies Relating to Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection, and Support in Southeast Asia (2019 – 2021; US$ ~120,000).
Served as Co-Principal Investigator for a mixed-methods study, Understanding the Islamic Principles of Milk-Kinship to Enable Equitable Access for Vulnerable Infants to Donor Human Milk in Southeast Asia (2020 – 2021).
Led as Principal Investigator for a qualitative study on the Sustainability of the Abundant Health Project on Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus in Ho Chi Minh City (2021; US$ 96,000).
Provided technical support for the Vietnam General Nutrition Survey (2019 – 2020).
Served as Principal Investigator for a mixed-methods study, Drivers of Optimal Feeding Practices for Children and Healthy Food Behaviors of Women and Children (2017 – 2018; US$ 50,000).
Strengthened research capacity at the Da Nang Learning & Research Center (supported by Alive & Thrive for focus countries in Southeast Asia) through virtual training, coaching, and collaboration in research, monitoring and evaluation, and dissemination of findings.
Participated in international consultations on the Core Standardized Set of Nutrition Indicators and DHIS2 Nutrition Module (2019) and Food Environment for Children (2020).
Served as a member of the Technical Advisory Group for the Drivers of Food Choices Project at the University of South Carolina (2017 – 2021).
Guest lectured at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, and Hanoi Medical University (2016 – present).
Mentored graduate exchange students from the University of Southern California (2 students), Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (3 students), and McGill University (1 student).
Technical leadership in program management and policy advocacy:
Managed the Measurement, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) portfolio—including financial and human resources, contracts, and stakeholder engagement—in Southeast Asia to meet the high demands of FHI 360 and the expectations of donors and stakeholders.
Utilized data from routine health information systems, surveys, and literature to enhance efficiency and reduce the burden on the project’s MLE system.
Developed and oversaw the monitoring system for the human milk bank network in Vietnam.
Supported facility assessments, planning, and implementation of human milk banks and early essential newborn care in Southeast Asia.
Contributed to the development of guidelines and standard operating procedures for human milk banks in Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as minimum standards for Southeast Asia.
Oversaw the work plan for the monitoring system of human milk banks in Vietnam, Myanmar, and across Southeast Asia.
Mobilizing resources, collaborating, coordinating, networking:
Developed three research grant applications, one of which was funded.
Established and maintained relationships with key donors (e.g., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Irish Aid), headquarters, staff, and partners.
Collaborated with the regional office and headquarters to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, research, documentation, and dissemination of findings and project activities.
Contributed to the Nutrition Cluster & Partnership Group, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, and Zero Hunger Challenge networks in Vietnam.
Sep 2011 – Dec 2015
Technical Specialist in Measurement, Learning and Evaluation (2011 – 2015), Alive & Thrive Vietnam, FHI 360, Hanoi, Vietnam and Senior Technical Officer (2011 – 2015), Strategic Information, FHI 360, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Technical leadership in research, knowledge management, learning and innovation in Vietnam:
Co-authored 10 peer-reviewed papers, 14 evaluation reports, five monitoring guidelines and tools, manuals, or guidelines, and delivered 17 presentations at international scientific or policy-related conferences.
Managed all aspects of five online and five-round cross-sectional surveys (contract value: ~US$1 million; sample size per round: 2,200 – 11,000).
Led the CDC/USAID-funded study Evaluation of the Community- and Home-Based Care Model for People Living with HIV and Their Family Members (2013 – 2014; US$50,000).
Provided technical advice and support to strengthen the monitoring system of the Sustainable Management of the HIV/AIDS Response and Transition to Technical Assistance (SMART TA) project (funded by USAID).
Contributed technical expertise to the Vietnam Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (2013 – 2014).
Technical leadership in program management and policy advocacy:
Managed the Measurement, Learning, and Evaluation (MLE) portfolio—including financial and human resources, contracts, and stakeholder engagement—in Vietnam to meet the high demands of FHI 360 and the expectations of donors and stakeholders.
Utilized state-of-the-art technology to collect, verify, analyze, and visualize data.
Developed and oversaw the monitoring system for 1,000 social franchises and 801 support groups, which provided interpersonal communication across 18 provinces in Vietnam, as well as more than 100 hospitals across seven provinces for early essential newborn care.
Collaborated with teams and partners to implement and sustain activities of 1,000 social franchises and 801 support groups across 18 provinces in Vietnam. This system remained operational five years after the conclusion of Alive & Thrive’s direct support and was later adapted for use in Alive & Thrive’s programs in East and West Africa.
Strengthened MLE capacity by training and coaching staff in data collection, management, analysis, visualization, and manuscript writing.
Mobilizing resources, collaborating, coordinating, networking:
Developed one research grant application, which was successfully funded.
Supported proposal development and planning for new projects, including early essential newborn care and human milk banks in Vietnam.
Established and maintained relationships with key donors (e.g., USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), headquarters, staff, and partners.
Sep 2010 – Aug 2011
Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
Conducted research on nutrition disparities, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and associated risk factors. Contributed to a project involving literature reviews and meta-analysis on childhood obesity and NCDs in the United States.
Analyzed datasets from large-scale, nationally representative surveys in South Korea and the United States. Co-authored three peer-reviewed papers and presented six abstracts at international conferences.
Developed a research grant application, though it was not funded.
Sep 2008 – Aug 2010
Postdoctoral Associate, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
Conducted research on the association between childhood obesity, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and related risk factors in children and adolescents across China, the United States, and Vietnam.
Analyzed datasets from large-scale, nationally representative surveys in the United States, Vietnam, and China. Co-authored two book chapters, three peer-reviewed papers, one editorial, and one letter to the editor. Presented three abstracts at international conferences.
Developed two research grant applications, one of which was successfully funded (US$25,000).
Sep 2004 – Aug 2008
Graduate Student, Research and Teaching assistant, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Conducted research on nutritional status, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and associated risk factors in children and adults. Also served as a Teaching Assistant for the Nutritional Epidemiology course.
Analyzed datasets from large-scale, nationally representative surveys in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Co-authored four peer-reviewed papers and presented six abstracts at international conferences.
Received awards from the American Society for Nutrition, Graduate Schools, and the East-West Center.
Sep 1995 – Dec 2009
Researcher, Assistant lecturer, and Lecturer, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Developed syllabi and taught both school-based and field-based courses in nutrition and public health. Mentored two undergraduate students.
Co-authored two book chapters and eight articles published in peer-reviewed Vietnamese journals.
Oversaw two food-based interventions aimed at improving the nutritional and health status of young children in rural areas.
Coordinated various nutrition and health projects and research initiatives in Vietnam.
Received awards from Hanoi Medical University, the Vietnam Youth Union, and Science and Life Newspaper.