Dr Thanh Loc Nguyen
Grant-Funded Researcher (B)
SAIGENCI
College of Health
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Dr. Thanh Loc Nguyen earned his Ph.D. in 2021 from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, Republic of Korea, under the supervision of Prof. Jaeyun Kim. During his graduate studies, he received the Brain Korea 21 (BK21) Excellent Challenger Scholarship in recognition of his outstanding research performance. Following his doctoral studies, he continued as a BK21 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the same research group.
Dr. Nguyen is a materials scientist with a background in immunology and immunotherapy. His research focuses on understanding the fundamental chemistry of materials that control their interactions with the immune system, particularly dendritic cells and T cells. Dendritic cells act as the immune system's sentinels, orchestrating immune responses by activating or suppressing T cells. His work aims to design micro- and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems to modulate immune responses on demand, either activating the immune system to fight cancer or suppressing it to treat autoimmune diseases, thereby minimizing the side effects associated with conventional therapies. He is also actively exploring therapeutic hydrogels for the treatment of skin inflammatory diseases and wound healing.
As of March 2026, Dr. Nguyen has an h-index of 19 with over 1,900 citations. His research has led to 2 U.S. patents, 2 Korean patents, and numerous publications in high-impact journals, including Nature Communications (2 papers), Biomaterials (5 papers), Advanced Materials (2 papers), ACS Nano (2 papers), Advanced Functional Materials (2 papers), and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (5 papers). From 2021 to 2023, he was awarded 2 Creative Challenge Research funding grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), securing approximately AUD 150,000 to support his innovative research. In addition, he serves as a reviewer for top-tier journals in the field of nano-biomaterials and immunology such as Nature Nanotechnology, ACS Nano, Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, and the Journal of Nanobiotechnology.
Dr. Nguyen recently joined the South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) as a Grant-Funded Researcher, where he is working on the development of an in situ cancer vaccine to treat solid cancer. He is deeply committed to contributing to a future free of cancer. Outside the lab, Dr. Nguyen enjoys spending time with his family, networking, playing e-sports, and swimming.
Research interests
- Cancer Immunotherapy
- Immune-biomaterials interactions
- Immunoengineering
- Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Grant-Funded Researcher | Adelaide University |
| 2024 - 2025 | Grant-Funded Researcher | University of Adelaide |
| 2021 - 2024 | Postdoctoral research fellow | Sungkyunkwan University |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Research Award | BK21 Excellent Challenger Scholarship | Sungkyunkwan University | Korea, Republic of | - |
| 2015 | Scholarship | SKKU Ph.D. Full Scholarship | Sungkyunkwan University | Korea, Republic of | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Vietnamese | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 - 2021 | Sungkyunkwan University | South Korea | PhD in Engineering |
| 2010 - 2015 | Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology | Vietnam | Bachelor in Engineering |
| Date | Title | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Grant-Funded Researcher | University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - 2024 | Postdoctoral fellow | Sungkyunkwan University | South Korea |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Trinh, T. A., Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2026). Antioxidant Hydrogel-Based Transdermal Drug Delivery Patch for Reactive Oxygen Species- and MyD88-Targeted Management of Atopic Dermatitis.. Biomacromolecules, 27(1), 121-133. |
| 2025 | Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., Min, D. K., & Kim, J. (2025). Mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticle-based tolerogenic vaccine induces antigen-specific immune tolerance to prevent and treat autoimmune multiple sclerosis. Biomaterials, 316, 122997. Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC1 |
| 2025 | Choi, S., Fan, Z., Im, J., Nguyen, T. L., Park, N., Choi, Y., . . . Kim, J. (2025). Tendon-mimicking anisotropic alginate-based double-network composite hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties and high impact absorption. Carbohydrate Polymers, 352, 11 pages. Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC1 |
| 2025 | Yin, Y., Zhao, S., Li, W., Cui, Y., Nguyen, T. L., & Gao, G. (2025). <i>In</i><i> situ</i> reprogramming of fibroblasts into antigen-presenting pseudo-dendritic cells via IFN-β-engineered protoplast-derived exosomes delivered by microneedle arrays to enhance adaptive immunity. THERANOSTICS, 15(17), 9179-9199. |
| 2024 | Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., Choi, Y., Mo, X. W., Trinh, T. A., Yi, G. -R., & Kim, J. (2024). High Cellular Internalization of Virus-Like Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Enhances Adaptive Antigen-Specific Immune Responses against Cancer.. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 16(35), 45917-45928. Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC6 |
| 2024 | Nguyen, T. L., Phan, N. M., & Kim, J. (2024). Administration of ROS-Scavenging Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Simply Mixed with Autoantigenic Peptides Induce Antigen-Specific Immune Tolerance against Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 16(26), 33106-33120. Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC4 |
| 2024 | Trinh, T. A., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2024). Lignin-Based Antioxidant Hydrogel Patch for the Management of Atopic Dermatitis by Mitigating Oxidative Stress in the Skin. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 16(26), 33135-33148. Scopus20 WoS20 Europe PMC16 |
| 2024 | Im, J., Choi, Y., Nguyen, T. L., Kim, M. K., & Kim, J. (2024). Injectable Mesocellular Foam Silica Microparticles with a Dual Role of Cell-Recruiting Scaffolds and Intracellular Delivery Vehicles for Enhanced Cancer Vaccine. Advanced Functional Materials, 34(25), 11 pages. Scopus2 WoS13 |
| 2024 | Mo, X. W., Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2024). H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Self-Supplying CaO<sub>2</sub> Nanoplatform Induces Ca<sup>2+</sup> Overload Combined with Chemodynamic Therapy to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(43), 58337-58345. Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC5 |
| 2023 | Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., Shin, H., Trinh, T. A., & Kim, J. (2023). ROS-Scavenging Lignin-Based Tolerogenic Nanoparticle Vaccine for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. ACS Nano, 17(24), 24696-24709. Scopus20 WoS17 Europe PMC13 |
| 2023 | Trinh, T. A., Le, T. M. D., Nguyen, H. T. T., Nguyen, T. L., Kim, J., Huynh, D. P., & Lee, D. S. (2023). pH-temperature Responsive Hydrogel-Mediated Delivery of Exendin-4 Encapsulated Chitosan Nanospheres for Sustained Therapeutic Efficacy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Macromolecular Bioscience, 23(11), e2300221. Scopus11 WoS10 Europe PMC8 |
| 2022 | Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2022). Nanoparticle-Based Tolerogenic Vaccines for the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases: A Review. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 5(5), 6013-6028. Scopus7 WoS7 |
| 2022 | Phan, V. H. G., Murugesan, M., Manivasagan, P., Nguyen, T. L., Phan, T. -H., Luu, C. H., . . . Thambi, T. (2022). Injectable Hydrogel Based on Protein-Polyester Microporous Network as an Implantable Niche for Active Cell Recruitment.. Pharmaceutics, 14(4), 17 pages. Scopus21 WoS21 Europe PMC19 |
| 2022 | Kim, Y. E., Choi, S. W., Kim, M. K., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2022). Therapeutic Hydrogel Patch to Treat Atopic Dermatitis by Regulating Oxidative Stress.. Nano letters, 22(5), 2038-2047. Scopus92 WoS86 Europe PMC71 |
| 2022 | Nguyen, T. L., Choi, Y., Im, J., Shin, H., Phan, N. M., Kim, M. K., . . . Kim, J. (2022). Immunosuppressive biomaterial-based therapeutic vaccine to treat multiple sclerosis via re-establishing immune tolerance.. Nature communications, 13(1), 15 pages. Scopus46 WoS44 Europe PMC28 |
| 2022 | Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2022). Nanozyme-Based Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 19(2), 237-252. Scopus54 WoS50 Europe PMC37 |
| 2022 | Ji, D., Park, J. M., Oh, M. S., Nguyen, T. L., Shin, H., Kim, J. S., . . . Kim, J. (2022). Superstrong, superstiff, and conductive alginate hydrogels.. Nature communications, 13(1), 10 pages. Scopus380 WoS257 Europe PMC164 |
| 2021 | Ji, D., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2021). Bioinspired Structural Composite Hydrogels with a Combination of High Strength, Stiffness, and Toughness. Advanced Functional Materials, 31(28), 8 pages. Scopus51 WoS51 |
| 2020 | Nguyen, T. L., Cha, B. G., Choi, Y., Im, J., & Kim, J. (2020). Injectable dual-scale mesoporous silica cancer vaccine enabling efficient delivery of antigen/adjuvant-loaded nanoparticles to dendritic cells recruited in local macroporous scaffold.. Biomaterials, 239, 119859. Scopus124 WoS115 Europe PMC84 |
| 2020 | Duong, H. T. T., Thambi, T., Yin, Y., Kim, S. H., Nguyen, T. L., Phan, V. H. G., . . . Lee, D. S. (2020). Degradation-regulated architecture of injectable smart hydrogels enhances humoral immune response and potentiates antitumor activity in human lung carcinoma.. Biomaterials, 230, 119599. Scopus99 WoS85 Europe PMC68 |
| 2020 | Nguyen, T. L., Yin, Y., Choi, Y., Jeong, J. H., & Kim, J. (2020). Enhanced Cancer DNA Vaccine <i>via</i> Direct Transfection to Host Dendritic Cells Recruited in Injectable Scaffolds.. ACS nano, 14(9), 11623-11636. Scopus54 WoS54 Europe PMC37 |
| 2020 | Lee, J. Y., Kim, M. K., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2020). Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Extra-Large Mesopores for Enhanced Cancer Vaccine.. ACS applied materials & interfaces, 12(31), 34658-34666. Scopus110 WoS101 Europe PMC61 |
| 2019 | Giang Phan, V. H., Duong, H. T. T., Thambi, T., Nguyen, T. L., Turabee, M. H., Yin, Y., . . . Lee, D. S. (2019). Modularly engineered injectable hybrid hydrogels based on protein-polymer network as potent immunologic adjuvant in vivo.. Biomaterials, 195, 100-110. Scopus60 WoS60 Europe PMC43 |
| 2019 | Le, T. M. D., Jung, B. -K., Li, Y., Duong, H. T. T., Nguyen, T. L., Hong, J. W., . . . Lee, D. S. (2019). Physically crosslinked injectable hydrogels for long-term delivery of oncolytic adenoviruses for cancer treatment.. Biomaterials science, 7(10), 4195-4207. Scopus47 WoS43 Europe PMC31 |
| 2019 | Nguyen, T. L., Choi, Y., & Kim, J. (2019). Mesoporous Silica as a Versatile Platform for Cancer Immunotherapy.. Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), 31(34), e1803953. Scopus217 WoS203 Europe PMC108 |
| 2019 | Sinha, A., Choi, Y., Nguyen, M. H., Nguyen, T. L., Choi, S. W., & Kim, J. (2019). A 3D Macroporous Alginate Graphene Scaffold with an Extremely Slow Release of a Loaded Cargo for In Situ Long-Term Activation of Dendritic Cells.. Advanced healthcare materials, 8(5), e1800571. Scopus38 WoS33 Europe PMC20 |
| 2019 | Yin, Y., Nguyen, T. L., Wang, B., Duong, H. T. T., Lee, D. S., Kim, J. -H., . . . Jeong, J. H. (2019). Simultaneous delivery of DNA vaccine and hydrophobic adjuvant using reducible polyethylenimine-functionalized graphene oxide for activation of dendritic cells. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 80, 870-876. Scopus21 WoS19 |
| 2018 | Duong, H. T. T., Yin, Y., Thambi, T., Nguyen, T. L., Giang Phan, V. H., Lee, M. S., . . . Lee, D. S. (2018). Smart vaccine delivery based on microneedle arrays decorated with ultra-pH-responsive copolymers for cancer immunotherapy. Biomaterials, 185, 13-24. Scopus175 WoS234 Europe PMC115 |
| 2017 | Sinha, A., Cha, B. G., Choi, Y., Nguyen, T. L., Yoo, P. J., Jeong, J. H., & Kim, J. (2017). Carbohydrate-Functionalized rGO as an Effective Cancer Vaccine for Stimulating Antigen-Specific Cytotoxic T Cells and Inhibiting Tumor Growth. Chemistry of Materials, 29(16), 6883-6892. Scopus34 WoS30 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Nguyen, T. L., & Jaeyun, K. (2024). US 11,890,332 B2, Dual-scale porous silica particle-based composition for preventing or treating cancer. United States. |
| 2023 | Nguyen, T. L., & Jaeyun, K. (2023). US 2023/0241190 A1, Vaccine for treating multiple sclerosis. United States. |
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2021.03 - 2023.02: Brain Korea 21 Postdoctoral Fellowship
-
2021.06 - 2022.05: Creative Challenge Research Fellow, awarded by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF, 2021R1I1A1A01059165)
Project title: Restoring immune tolerance based on functional nanoparticles for the treatment of multiple sclerosis
Role: Sole CI, Grant amount: 70M KRW (~77,000 AUD)
-
2022.06 - 2023.05: Creative Challenge Research Fellow, awarded by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF, 2022R1I1A1A01073332)
Project title: Hollow manganese oxide nanoparticles for therapeutic vaccine platform of multiple sclerosis
Role: Sole CI, Grant amount: 70M KRW (~77,000 AUD)
2024 second semester: Advanced Engineering of Biomaterials (4420_BIOPRENG_7109), The University of Adelaide (Guest lecturer)
2025 second semester: Advanced Engineering of Biomaterials (4420_BIOPRENG_7109), The University of Adelaide (Guest lecturer)
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Co-Supervisor | Biomaterials Bridging Innate and Adaptive Immune Cells for Enhancing Cancer Immunotherapy | - | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms An My Tran Le |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 - ongoing | External Supervisor | Ultrasound-Triggered Gallium Liquid Metal-Based Nanoformulation for Antimicrobial Therapy | College of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University | - | Master | Full Time | Ho Nhat Huy Nguyen |
| 2025 - 2025 | Co-Supervisor | The Use Of Pluronic F127 Hydrogel For Sustained Protein Release | South Australian immunogenomics Cancer Institute, The University of Adelaide | Undergraduate placement program | Other | Part Time | Bansari Patel |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | Member | Organising Committee of Adelaide Biomedical Technology Symposium 2025 | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2025 - ongoing | Board Member | High Performance Computer (HPC) Steering Committee | South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute | Australia |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 - ongoing | Member | Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering (ASBTE) | Australia |
| 2020 - 2020 | Member | Materials Research Society (MRS) | United States |
| 2016 - 2016 | Member | Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) | United States |
| Date | Title | Type | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Journal of Biological Macromolecules | Peer Review | N/A | - |
| 2025 - ongoing | ACS Nano | Peer Review | N/A | - |
| 2024 - ongoing | Nature Nanotechnology | Peer Review | N/A | - |
| 2023 - ongoing | Journal of Nanobiotechnology | Peer Review | N/A | - |
| 2023 - ongoing | Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy | Peer Review | N/A | - |
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