Lê Nguyễn Phương Thùy and her colleagues presenting research at the Việt Nam Data Contest 2023. Photo tienphong.vn

HCM CITY —Lê Nguyễn Phương Thùy, a former biology major at the High School for the Gifted under Việt Nam National University in HCM City, is researching ways to apply artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.

Thùy made a turning point with the decision to pursue Information Technology after she witnessed how society operated during the COVID-19 pandemic. That experience, coupled with her interest in healthcare, sparked an enduring question in her mind: 'How can doctors truly understand and trust results generated by AI?'

The question, which seems simple, started a challenging journey for the student.

In medicine, trust and transparency are vital factors. Each diagnostic result must not only be accurate, but also scientifically verifiable, so that doctors can confidently use it in making decisions that directly affect patients’ health. Driven by this motivation, Thùy and her team set out to make AI systems more transparent and easy to understand.

Since her second year at university, Thùy has been actively involved in scientific research. Among the projects she has participated in, her favourite is a study titled 'Reliable Clinical Notes with Large Language Models'.

At the beginning of the research project, she felt intimidated by the large pool of data and strict confidentiality principles.

“At first, I was confused and overwhelmed. There were times I stared at the computer and felt frightened, realising how small I was in the vast world of technology,” Thuỳ told tienphong.vn.

For Thùy, each line of code is not merely a piece of programming, but also a test of her willpower and determination.

There are thousands of data samples for common diseases, while rare conditions have far fewer cases available to study.

“One of my most memorable moments was when our team ran the trial for our AI model. Because we couldn't afford to upgrade our computing platform, we had to split the workload and process different parts of the dataset on our personal laptops," she said.

“There were nights we stayed up late monitoring our progress, because if even one machine shut down, the whole process would have to start over."

Yet these seemingly draining challenges helped Thùy discover the hidden strength of her passion.

Despite those early feelings of confusion and many sleepless nights, she learned to stay calm, resilient and systematic in the face of any difficulty.

“I realised that every research journey has its moments of stress and pressure. But instead of avoiding them, I chose to see those moments as stepping stones to go further. I also constantly remind myself that once I’ve started something, I must see it through to the end,” she said.

Women in science

After months of hard work, Thùy and her team found a solution to the medical data challenge using large language models.

Their system can synthesise and generate reliable medical data, expanding the coverage of AI systems for rare diseases.

With three international conference publications, Thùy became one of the Youth Union's 20 recipients of the 2025 Women in Science and Technology Award.

“This award is a reminder for me to keep moving forward – to continue researching and inspiring other young women who love technology,” she said with emotion.

Through her collaboration with like-minded teammates in scientific projects, Thùy discovered her true place in the world of technology. She finds joy in sharing knowledge and witnessing the spark of understanding in others’ eyes.

“I feel happy when I see someone’s eyes light up because they have learned something new from my explanation. It’s a warm and proud feeling – as if knowledge is no longer confined to books or code, but is truly alive and connecting with people,” she said.

That very moment planted the seed of her dream to become a lecturer and researcher who can inspire and guide the younger generation in exploring the world of technology.

“I believe AI is not merely a programming tool or data processor. It is a bridge connecting innovation with the nation’s future,” she said.

“In this era of a digitally rising nation, tech talent has become the vital energy nourishing our digital future. That is why I believe that pursuing technology is, in fact, a journey of service to the country’s future,” she added. VNS