Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, Director of Vinmec Stem Cell and Gene Technology Research Institute, VinUniversity

Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem is a world-renowned innovator in pediatric endoscopic surgery and stem cell transplantation. He has made pioneering contributions to the development of pediatric minimally invasive surgery in Vietnam and globally. Professor Liem has developed seven novel endoscopic surgical techniques and refined numerous others that have significantly advanced pediatric surgical practice.

He has been invited to perform live demonstrative operations in Italy, the Netherlands, India, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Myanmar, and to deliver lectures at many international scientific meetings. He is the author of the Choledochal Cyst chapter in Ashcraft’s Pediatric Surgery and has contributed to Pediatric Operative Techniques and the Atlas of Thoracoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery.

Since 2015, Professor Liem has devoted his research to stem cell science and regenerative medicine, particularly the clinical applications of stem cells for incurable pediatric diseases. He is a pioneer in applying cell therapy for neurological disorders, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, biliary atresia, and other refractory conditions. He serves as Editor of the book Cell Therapy, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, published by Springer Nature in May 2025. This book is the first publication on stem cells in Vietnam.

To date, he has published 150 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and over 200 papers in Vietnamese journals and was editor of five Vietnamese medical books.

Professor Liem’s achievements have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards. He received the Ho Chi Minh Award in 2005, was honored as a Vietnamese Labor Hero in 2008, and was named Vietnam Talent in 2012.

In 2018, he received the Nikkei Asia Prize for Science and Technology for his outstanding contributions to pediatric endoscopic surgery and stem cell applications in Asia. In 2019, he was listed among the Top 100 Scientists in Asia by Asian Scientist magazine. Most recently, in 2025, he was included among the world’s top 2% most influential scientists, as identified by a research team at Stanford University based on Scopus citation data.