Ho Chi Minh City, 01 January 2020,

Dear Selection Committee,

After 6 years of working as a young doctor of preventive and medicine working at

Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam, my ultimate desire was to bring about
an innovative future for epidemiology in Vietnam as an investigator in the field of
respiratory bacteria, particularly pneumococcal diseases. Therefore, I am applying for
The International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases 12
(ISPPD-12) held in in Toronto, Canada from 21-25th June 2020
An opportunity to participate in ISPPD-12 could be the answer to everything I need. At
Laboratory of Respiratory Bacteria, my routine work involves the Vietnam
Pneumococcal Project which focuses on pneumococcus, particularly isolation,
serotyping and ELISA. In addition, I was a member of Invasive Bacterial Disease
Surveillance Network in Western Pacific of World Health Organization which works
on identification and typing 3 pathogens: S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, N. meningitidis
from patients under 5 years of age. As a result, my research interest in microbiology,
epidemiology, and immunology, particularly pneumococcus and meningococcus,
evolved.
However, with constant changing in control of pneumococcal disease worldwide, I
was triggered by many challenging questions. How to connect serotyping knowledge
with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines worldwide? Furthermore, in the era of
technology, how to utilize knowledge of genomics, such as next generation
sequencing, as an approach for diagnosis and surveillance of pneumococcal disease?
And thus, I strongly believe that my knowledge gaps would be addressed at ISPPD-12,
as it allows me to improve understanding with cross-disciplinary approach, as well as
updating new techniques and novel methodologies by sharing and learning from
researchers with a variety of interests and expertise.
A chance of joining in ISPPD-12 would allow me to contribute to the research field of
pneumococcal and proudly representing for the female scientist community of
Vietnam. Considering situation of my homeland, the first and foremost aspect that I
want to work on in the next 5 years is the use of pneumococcal vaccine in the future
that reduces the burden of pneumococcal and toward the target of defeating
pneumococcal. With improved understanding and mindset obtained from ISPPD-12, I
would conduct the studies in review the system of surveillance of pneumococcal in
Vietnam as well as expanding the pneumococcal surveillance system for health
facilities in 20 provinces in the Southern region with the aim early detection and
minimize the omission of the pneumococcal cases in communities and hospitals.
Moreover, these precious knowledge not only be beneficial to me, but would also be
valuable to colleagues of my institute, as well as young generation, such as students
working in my lab. Last but not least, ISPPD-12 would be a bridge to more
collaborative relationships with worldwide renowned scientists in terms of
pneumococcal and infectious disease, where I could become the key person in setting
up a network of colleagues in the world with my institution, especially making
effective collaboration between Vietnamese and researchers.
With my passion and my background, I am confident that I deserve to participate in
ISPPD-12. Please accept my deepest appreciation and gratitude to your further
assessment and consideration, and I look forward to your positive response.
Yours faithfully,
H.N.L.Thuy