Hien Vu’s PhD project: advancing neonatal care in low-resource settings
Hien Vu recently completed her half-time review, presenting a PhD project on improving airway management and respiratory support for newborns in low-resource settings, particularly in Vietnam. Through clinical studies and evaluation of scalable interventions, her work aims to improve care and reduce mortality. In this interview, she discusses its potential impact and her development as a researcher.
Congratulations on passing your half-time review! Could you give a short overview of your PhD project?
My PhD project focuses on improving airway management and respiratory support for newborns with respiratory distress in low-resource settings, with a particular emphasis on Vietnam.
Respiratory distress is one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and timely and effective intervention is critical for survival. My research aims to evaluate current clinical practices in a large neonatal intensive care unit and to assess the use of laryngeal mask airways and nasal respiratory support as practical, low-resource interventions.
Through clinical studies conducted in Vietnam, the project seeks to generate evidence that can support safer and more effective neonatal care, strengthen clinical guidelines, and improve outcomes in settings where access to advanced neonatal intensive care is limited.
Overall, the goal is to identify feasible, scalable approaches to neonatal airway management that can ultimately contribute to reducing neonatal mortality.
Are there any achievements or moments so far that you are particularly proud of?
There are two moments that I am particularly proud of during my PhD journey so far.
The first was the opportunity to present our research findings as part of the joint team from Vietnam and Sweden at the JENS conference in October 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia. In that moment, I felt both honored and responsible to represent my country on an international stage. It was meaningful to contribute to sharing our work globally and to see Vietnam’s presence and growing role in medical research being recognized in an international scientific community. It gave me a strong sense of pride and gratitude.
“Overall, the goal is to identify feasible, scalable approaches to neonatal airway management that can ultimately contribute to reducing neonatal mortality”
The second moment was more personal. It was when I was able to independently troubleshoot and fix a technical issue in the LabVIEW system during a research process. Although it might seem like a small technical challenge, I remember feeling genuinely happy and energized the whole day. It made me realize that being a PhD student is not only about scientific results, but also about continuous self-learning and problem-solving. The journey has helped me discover new skills and develop myself into a more capable and confident version of who I was before.
What feedback did you receive during the review, and how do you plan to address it?
During the review, I received very positive feedback regarding my dedication, work ethic, and scientific ability, which I truly appreciate.
At the same time, they also suggested that I include the protocol for the ongoing randomized controlled trial in my PhD portfolio and strengthen my work by incorporating more critical reflection in both my analysis and writing.
I find this feedback very valuable and constructive. Going forward, I will discuss with my team how best to include the RCT protocol within the thesis framework, as suggested.
Overall, I see this feedback as an important step in my development as an independent researcher, and I will use it to further strengthen both the structure and depth of my PhD work.
Hien Vu successfully passed her Half-time review on 11 May 2026.
Project title: Airway Management in Neonates with Respiratory Distress: Clinical Evaluation of Laryngeal Mask Airways and Nasal Respiratory Support in Vietnam.
The half-time committee consisted of:
Ashish KC, Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg
Tim Baker, Associate Professor, GPH, KI
Thanh Nguyen, Associate Professor, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, and Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City.
Main supervisor is Susanna Myrnerts Höök, PhD, GPH, Karolinska Institutet.
Her co-supervisors are:
Tobias Alfvén, Professor, GPH, Karolinska Institutet
Nicolas Pejovic, PhD, GPH, Karolinska Institutet
Thomas Drevhammar, Associate Professor, KBH, Karolinska Institutet
Anh Duy Nguyen, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacology, Hanoi National University, Vietnam
Linus Olson, PhD, KBH, Karolinska Institutet