WOMAN PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY FROM "NOODLE LOVER" TO KOVALEVSKAYA AWARD WINNER

On May 16th, in Hanoi, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai - Vice President of VNUHCM-University of Science, Vice Principal of the Gifted High School, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, was honored to receive the 2021 Kovalevskaya Award from the Vietnam Kovalevskaya Award Committee for her outstanding achievements in scientific research and its practical application, bringing many benefits across various aspects of life.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai (wearing a red traditional dress) receiving the Kovalevskaya Award.

The Award is a great motivation

Back in 1992, when choosing a university, young student Thanh Mai never thought she would become a lecturer, a scientist as she is now. She only remembers her fondness for noodles and her simple wish to work in the field of food processing, so she applied for the Chemistry major at the University of Sciences, now VNUHCM-University of Science.

As she continued her studies, Associate Professor Dr. Thanh Mai grew to love the field of chemistry, especially analytical chemistry, so she delved deeper into research. To date, she has discovered hundreds of new compounds with various biological effects from medicinal herbs, led and completed 14 research projects at various levels: 10 at the national level (7 at Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City and 3 funded by Nafosted), and 4 at the provincial level. She has published 135 scientific papers, including 75 in international journals and 66 in national journals. Additionally, she has authored specialized books and textbooks, has 2 patents accepted by the Intellectual Property Office, and is the head of a strong research group under the University's Drug Chemistry Research Program in 2020.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai shared: "When I received the news of being considered for the Kovalevskaya Award, I was deeply moved because my efforts in training and scientific research over the years have been recognized by the Vietnam Kovalevskaya Award Committee in 2021. Initially, I was not very confident in submitting my application because this is a prestigious award for female scientists, but thanks to the encouragement of my colleagues, I decided to submit it in the end. This is a great motivation for me to continue my educational and scientific career."

Researching Cancer-Fighting Compounds and Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

As an avid seeker and researcher of medicinal herbs, Professor Thanh Mai collaborated with Toyama University, Japan, to search for medicinal herbs and active ingredients that have toxic effects on pancreatic cancer cells in nutrient-deficient environments. From this program, her research team discovered many new compounds with previously unseen structures worldwide. Particularly, the active ingredient from the Cyperus rotundus root, grown in An Giang, has a very strong toxic effect on pancreatic cancer cells. "In this study, we discovered 21 new compounds and 36 compounds with strong pancreatic cancer-fighting effects. From there, we researched the extraction and successfully synthesized nano-products that support the treatment of digestive tract cancer," Professor Thanh Mai enthusiastically explained.

Moreover, this scientist from Quang Ngai Province also researches products that support the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Her research team has developed nano-products from the ivy gourd plant with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, as well as studied the technology of extracting bee venom and evaluating its anti-inflammatory effects on experimental animals.

The research results of Associate Professor Dr. Thanh Mai and her team have provided scientific evidence for the use of herbal medicine in disease treatment. She said: "Health support products are being researched for commercialization as well as further in-depth research to develop disease treatment drugs." This is also Professor Mai's greatest desire after her basic research projects.

"Seeing Dr. Mai is feeling at ease..."

In addition to scientific research, Professor Thanh Mai also undertakes management tasks. Since January 2022, the 48-year-old female Vice Principal of the University of Natural Sciences has been appointed as Principal of the Gifted High School. Like other working parents, she still has the daily duty of picking up her child and doing household chores. She stated that her new responsibilities have made her very busy because she has to familiarize herself with many new tasks. However, over the past 15 years, she has built a professional research team, so despite being busy, Professor Mai still finds time to monitor research activities and maximize online channels to discuss any issues that arise in her team's research. Thus, her research team always completes their research plans.

To balance multiple tasks simultaneously, the Principal of the Gifted High School shared: "Truly, every field demands concentration, depth, and fulfilling one's responsibilities. With the rapid changes and developments in society today, both research and management work must change and develop as well. However, for me, scientific research is a field that has been systematically trained for many years, while management work is quite extensive, requiring learning, accumulating experience, and taking more time. I am fortunate to have colleagues who always agree and work together to balance both tasks and achieve high efficiency."

Dr. Phan Thi Anh Dao - Lecturer at HCMC University of Technology and Education, said: "Ms. Mai was my doctoral supervisor. She is very enthusiastic and caring for her students. In her work, she is decisive and resolves tasks clearly, effectively, and quickly. I remember during my dissertation, I encountered some difficulties, sometimes felt pessimistic and didn't know what to do next. However, when I discussed with her, her problem-solving approach not only resolved the difficulties but also made me more optimistic. Especially, I learned from her how to nurture passion, self-breakthrough, develop, and perfect myself after graduation, returning to inspire my own students."

Sharing the same sentiment, Le Huu Tho - Lecturer at the Faculty of Chemistry, VNUHCM-University of Science, is excited to talk about his mentor: "In fact, any student who has studied under and been guided by Ms. Mai would truly be very proud because she is amazing. To me, she is like a great "guru" because she has enabled me to explore a vast knowledge of Drug Chemistry, allowed me to unleash my creativity, taught me how to nurture passion, self-breakthrough, develop, and perfect myself."

"Ms. Mai is a very fair person. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. But if you're wrong, she will point it out, guide you, and find ways to remedy it, never abandoning you. If you lack confidence: meet Ms. Mai. If you lack motivation: meet Ms. Mai. If you're puzzled about a new idea: meet Ms. Mai. If you need help, even if it's not her area of expertise, still meet Ms. Mai. She will provide you with a foundation, and you will go further than you thought. In general, seeing Ms. Mai at the Faculty, we are confident in every aspect," Tho affirmed.

Source: VNUHCM

Original article: https://vnuhcm.edu.vn/tin-tuc_32343364/nu-giao-su-hoa-hoc-tu-thich-an-mi-tom-den-dat-giai-thuong-kovalevskaia-danh-gia/343430393364.html