We are pleased to announce Ms. My-Anh Nguyen, PhD Candidate working with Dr. Katey Rayner, has been awarded the 2018 Ottawa Region’s Cardiovascular Research Trainee of the Year. Ms. My-Anh will receive this award and present her research at the Ottawa Cardiovascular Research Day on April 30.
Ms. My-Anh Nguyen is completing her doctoral study at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Katey Rayner.
Ms. Nguyen’s research is focused on macrophage communication via exosomal transfer of microRNAs during the development of atherosclerosis. Based on the understanding of how macrophages use exosomes to communicate signal to nearby cells, her research also aims to design nanoparticles that mimic macrophage-derived exosomes to deliver key miRNAs or other therapeutics directly to the atherosclerotic plaque, enabling the development of new strategies to treat heart disease and to improve human health.
Ms. Nguyen is recognized for the excellent research accomplishments already achieved at this early stage of her career. In this past year, Ms. Nguyen published a first-authored paper in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. This work demonstrated that extracellular vesicles-derived microRNAs secreted from atherogenic macrophages may accelerate the development of plaque formation, by decreasing cell migration and promoting macrophage entrapment in the vessel wall. The publication received editorial highlights in the same issue. Ms. Nguyen also co-authored another study published in Circulation Research.
Ms. Nguyen has received travel awards from CIHR and other organizations to present at regional and international scientific meetings. She has presented at the Gordon Research Conference; the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology meeting; the Canadian Lipoprotein Conference and have won several best presentation awards for both abstract talks and posters. She has received the University of Ottawa Cardiac Endowment Fund at the Heart Institute Graduate Award; the Award of Excellence in Graduate Studies for the Ph.D. in Biochemistry Program; the University of Ottawa Excellence Scholarship; and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship in support of her doctoral research.
Ms. Nguyen is also recognized for her leadership in the trainee community. She has been holding a teaching assistant for the undergraduate Biochemistry program in the past five years and is continuing in this role. She is involved with the University of Ottawa’s Let’s Talk Science and provided hands-on lab demonstrations to primary and secondary students. She recently served on the UOHI Trainee Committee and led the organization of workshops for trainees. In the laboratory, Ms. Nguyen teaches new trainees the skills and critical thinking concepts needed to succeed in research. She is the go-to-person on her floor. Ms. Nguyen truly embodies the spirit of collaboration, drive, and dedication to research excellence.