Having passed through three rigorous rounds of evaluation by the Priliminary council, Professional committee, and Professional Council, which is comprised of leading professors, scientists, and industry experts, Dr. Vu Thai Ha’s groundbreaking dissertation “Computational Approaches to Expand the Applications of Chromatin State Annotations” has been awarded the SIU Prize Computer Science Honorable Mention.
Dr. Vũ Thái Hà is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Gladstone Institute, University of California, USA. In 2023, she successfully defended her dissertation titled “Computational Approaches to Expand the Applications of Chromatin State Annotations” at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – a prestigious institution ranked No. 1 in the Best National University and No. 7 in the Best Undergraduate Bioinformatics/Biotechnology Programs according to the US News university rankings at the time of her graduation.
Dr. Ha’s dissertation addresses a core challenge in biological research: constructing accurate annotation systems for the human genome using epigenetic data. Her research offers computational tools that have significantly advanced our ability to label and analyze genomes, providing researchers with a deeper understanding of the biological properties of individual genomic regions. These tools were designed with groundbreaking technology and high practical applicability, capable of processing massive datasets up to terabytes in size through parallel computing on clusters. Dr. Vu Thai Ha has set a new standard in complex biological data processing and analysis by comprehensively addressing numerical instability issues in multidimensional data analysis.
Dr. Ha expressed her honor to receive the SIU Prize Computer Science Season 1 award and regretting her inability to attend the award ceremony due to ongoing research commitments
The impact of this research extends beyond the theoretical scope. Dr. Ha’s research has been applied to the International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC), where her developed annotation systems are used to analyze large-scale genomic data. The datasets generated from this research have become invaluable resources, opening up new opportunities in exploring the genetic factors influencing human health and human disease.
During her academic pursuit, Dr. Ha has published 11 papers in prestigious scientific journals, including Nature Aging, Genome Biology, Bioinformatics, and Science. She is the main author of three of these papers. Her independent research capabilities, impact, and international recognition have been solidified through these research achievements.
Moreover, Dr. Ha’s research has attracted funding from prestigious organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), demonstrating global recognition for her groundbreaking contributions.
Dr. Vu Thai Ha’s dissertation “Computational Approaches to Expand the Applications of Chromatin State Annotations” marks a significant breakthrough in the field of genome analysis, opening up promising directions for modern biological research. The SIU Prize, with its mission to promote outstanding research, aims to foster innovation and address modern challenges in the fields of education, healthcare, environment.