Vietnamese PhD Candidate joins CCRG’s mitochondrial transplant research
A year has passed since Dieu Le started her PhD at Griffith University in collaboration with CCRG. Here, the Vietnamese-trained doctor shares insights into her research on mitochondrial assessment and transplantation to restore donor hearts.
Dieu studied a Bachelor of General Medicine at the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine in Vietnam.
“From here, I began working at Children’s Hospital Number 1 in Ho Chi Minh City where I worked in Nephrology and Endocrinology field and did extra research in nephrotic syndrome and lupus."
“I worked in Vietnam as a pediatrician for nearly 10 years and always aspired to join a large multidisciplinary research group like CCRG to explore as many research avenues as possible.”
After 5 years as a pediatrician Dieu received a scholarship in Belgium, where she relocated abroad to complete her Masters in Biomedical Sciences at University Catholic at Louvain.
At CCRG, Dieu works alongside Dr Alice Harford and Dr Jules Devaux integrating mitochondrial research into the next stages of The Living Heart Project, with the mitochondrial research scope including assessment and transplantation.
“Mitchondria transplant (MTx) involves the extraction of mitochondria from the muscles to inject into the heart as molecular therapy. Dr James McCully from Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital is pioneering this international research with his team’s breakthrough technique using the patient's own mitochondria,” explains Dieu.
“I had the opportunity to work with and learn from Dr McCully when he visited last August. It was such a wonderful experience, I am grateful I have access to these experts here at CCRG while contributing to our ongoing heart transplantation research program.”
Of her very personal connection to critical care research, Dieu shares “My Uncle in Vietnam suffered from severe heart disease - acute heart myocardial infarction in which his heart failed in the hospital after being flown to the US. He was very lucky and received a heart transplant and has been living a healthy and steady life ever since.”
“This was more than 10 years ago, where heart transplantation was still a fairly new and foreign concept worldwide. He was a major inspiration for me taking this leap into an unknown field like this.”
“With my work on The Living Heart Project, I hope to contribute to research that has the potential to improve outcomes for more patients like my uncle.”
Looking ahead, Dieu believes “there is potential to develop more molecular biology therapy to apply to chronic and untreated diseases. As well as, bringing higher efficiency treatments to mitochondria and genetic diseases.”
Away from her research, Dieu loves to explore the abundance of nature paired with the great weather Queensland summers have to offer.