Read more about Global Health Innovation Grand Challenge Pitch Competition 2025 here: Global Health Innovation Grand Challenge Awards | Carle Illinois College of Medicine
VinUni–Illinois Smart Health Center (VISHC) proudly celebrates the achievement of Pham Tuyet Ngoc Linh, a PhD student in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (UIUC) and Research Assistant at VISHC, who together with her teammates (Cervicare Team Members: Nellie Haug; Nama Naseem; Grace Brolly; Bhargavee Gnana; Modan Goldman; Abby Kostolansky; Matt Raab; Pham Tuyet Ngoc Linh) won third place and a $50,000 award at the Global Health Innovation Grand Challenge Pitch Competition 2025, hosted by Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
Their project, Cervicare, introduces a designed to improve accessibility, comfort, and early detection for women worldwide.
Before pursuing her PhD, Linh earned her undergraduate degree in Medical Science and Technology at the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH). As part of her undergraduate training, she conducted a project on lateral flow assay for the detection of cervical cancer biomarkers at UIUC.
Today, Linh is pursuing her PhD in Bioengineering at UIUC while serving as a Research Assistant at VISHC. Her research focuses on cancer detection for early diagnosis, aiming to build low-cost, highly sensitive biosensors for cervical cancer based on the recognition of valosin-containing protein (VCP).
Her dual role at VISHC and UIUC allows her to combine strong mentorship with global collaboration. She is mentored by Dr. Tung (VISHC) and Professor Joseph Irudayaraj (UIUC), both of whom provide invaluable guidance in shaping her research direction. Linh has also contributed to the scientific community through a review paper published at VISHC in 2024.
Cervicare aims to revolutionize cervical cancer screening by:
This approach reduces barriers to cervical cancer screening and aligns with Linh’s broader vision of affordable, scalable cancer diagnostics.
Linh’s participation and success in this competition reflect VISHC’s commitment to mentoring young scientists while fostering international collaboration. Her journey – from her undergraduate project on lateral flow assays to advanced biosensor research, and now to winning an innovation award – demonstrates how training, mentorship, and perseverance can translate into meaningful impact.
Cervicare is a step forward for women’s health equity and shows how young researchers can turn ideas into meaningful change.
VISHC warmly congratulates Pham Tuyet Ngoc Linh and the Cervicare team on this outstanding milestone. Their award-winning innovation is a testament to the center’s mission: empowering young talent, fostering impactful research, and advancing global health through innovation and collaboration.
