
Bachelor of Medicine - 1996, Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam
Master of International Public Health - 2002, University of Sydney, Australia
PhD (Epidemiology) - 2013, Western Sydney University, Australia
Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching - 2020, University of New South Wales, Australia
I am a Research Fellow in the Centre for Big Data Research in Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, with undergraduate degree in medicine and postgraduate degrees in epidemiology and international public health. Recently I completed a graduate certificate in university learning and teaching at UNSW.
Having medical training and practice background, my research aspiration is to generate innovative, high quality scientific research evidence with translational focus which will contribute to better health care provision and improved patient health outcomes. I have conducted research in diverse areas, including epidemiology, health services utilisation and patient health outcomes, pharmacoepidemiology, evaluation of health interventions and programmes, systematic review and general practice research.
Over the last 12 years, I have extensively used complex and large-scale routine data collections for research, for example hospital admissions, perinatal and pregnancy, Medicare Benefits Schedules (MBS), Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), electronic medical records and registry data. Having expertise in the analysis of routine data and data linkage methods, I have been supervising higher research degree students and teaching in professional development and postgraduate courses in these areas.
Currently, I am involved in the development of the 'Join Us' register, the first Australian electronic research register for people aged 18 years or over who are interested in taking part in health research. The 'Join Us' register will be a national research resource to engage Australian adults in health and medical research in a timely manner. This initiative will transform engagement of many Australians in research and have positive impact on research productivity, efficiency and patient outcomes.
2018: Small shared grant scheme, funded through the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines and Ageing (CREMA). Leveraging Australian linked data on medicine exposures in pregnany for multinational comparisons: Use of antipsychotics in pregnancy; $27,650. CIs: Schaffer, Havard, Pearson, Tran, Raichand, Zoega, Buckley.
2017: Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care. Rapid environmental scan and literature review on avoidable hospital readmission indicators; $51,830. CIs: Jorm, Tran, Havard.
2012-2017: NHMRC (#1028543). Pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation during pregnancy and the inter-pregnancy period: a population-based cohort study; $620,950. CIs: Havard, Jorm, Preen, Daube, Kemp, Einarsdottir, Randall, Tran.
2014-2015: HealthDirect Australia. Mapping the outcomes of calls to "healthdirect Australia"; $321,170. CIs Jorm, Tran, Gibson, Havard.
2013-2014: Western Sydney University Early Career Seeding Grant. Use of primary care and hospitalisation in older Australian culturally and linguistically diverse populations with type 2 diabetes; $7,500. CI Tran.
2011-2012: Western Sydney University. Enhancing evidence-based practice skills among nurses: Evaluation of teaching methods; $10,000. CIs Fernandez, Tran, Ramjan, Ho, Gill.
Australasian Epidemiology Association, Mid-Career International Travel Award, 2016
Australian Postgraduate Award and Western Sydney University, Scholarship for PhD study, 2011-2013
UK Medical Research Council Population Health Sciences Network, the Population Health Methods and Challenges Conference, Birmingham, United Kingdom, Early Career Research Award, 2012
Western Sydney University, PhD student International Travel Award, 2012
Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, the 6th Research and Teaching Showcase, Sydney, Best poster, 2011
University of Sydney, Cross Cultural Public Health Research Award, 2010
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Scholarship for Masters Degree of International Public Health study, 2001-2002.
My research inspiration and motivation are to generate scientific evidence that will help guide clinical practice and inform health policy. I have contributed towards the mission of the Centre for Big Data Research in Health- "Maximise the productive use of all possible sources of health big data in order to enhance the health and well-being of Australians and the global community".
My work on the use of medicines for smoking cessation and chronic conditions in pregnancy and safety of medicines on mothers and babies will inform clinical guidelines for smoking cessation pharmacotherapies in pregnant populations. Findings in systematic reviews on avoidable hospital readmission indicators were used by the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care. The evaluation of patient compliance to telephone triage advice directly informed quality of care provided by Healthdirect Australia- a national not-for-profit organisation that provides virtual health services to Australians.
The Centre plays an important role in the national evaluation of the Health Care Homes program - a Federal primary care initiative to improve health and well-being of individuals with chronic health conditions. In this project, I lead the analyses of complex data sources such as electronic medical records, Medicare claims, hospital admissions, emergency department attendance, Health Care Homes enrolment and other sources. The 'Join Us' research participant register that I am a co-investigator will be a national research resource to engage many Australian adults in health and medical research in a timely manner have positive impact on research productivity, efficiency and patient outcomes.
Evidence of research translation from prior project includes the implementation of the Substance Use Screen Policy, patient falls risk assessment tool and check lists for daily nursing clinical handovers in facilities in the South Western Sydney Local Health District. Recommendations for innovative models of nursing care were considered by the NSW Chief Nursing Officer for further development and implementation.
Australasian Epidemiology Assocation
Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand
International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology
Current teaching (2018- present)
Course HDAT9100 Context of Health Data Science, Master of Science in Health Data Science, UNSW: Convenor two Chapters about Data Wrangling and Health Inequalities.
Course HDAT9400 Data Management and Curation, Master of Science in Health Data Science, UNSW: Course co-convenor.
Past teaching
Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Women and Children Health, UNSW: Course convenor, 2018-2019
Introductory Analysis of Linked Data, School of Public Health, University of Sydney: Guest lecturer, 2017
Managing Big Data in Health Research: Tutor, 2015-2016.
Evidence-based Nursing, School of Nursing, Western Sydney University: Tutor, 2010-2012.