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 November 2025, Dr. Nguyen has an h-index of 18 with over 1,700 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 (1 paper), 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, 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 triple-negative breast 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. He is passionate about sharing his research with non-expert audiences, making complex scientific concepts accessible to the wider community.
Research interests
- Cancer Immunotherapy
- Immune-biomaterials interactions
- Immunoengineering
- Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | 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 |
|---|---|
| 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. Scopus1 |
| 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. Scopus2 WoS2 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. |
| 2025 | Trinh, T. A., Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2025). Antioxidant Hydrogel-Based Transdermal Drug Delivery Patch for Reactive Oxygen Species- and MyD88-Targeted Management of Atopic Dermatitis.. Biomacromolecules. |
| 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. Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC3 |
| 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 WoS18 Europe PMC15 |
| 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. Scopus1 WoS15 |
| 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. Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC4 |
| 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. Scopus8 WoS8 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. Scopus16 WoS15 Europe PMC10 |
| 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. Scopus10 WoS10 Europe PMC7 |
| 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. Scopus19 WoS19 Europe PMC17 |
| 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. Scopus84 WoS83 Europe PMC66 |
| 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. Scopus38 WoS37 Europe PMC22 |
| 2022 | Phan, N. M., Nguyen, T. L., & Kim, J. (2022). Nanozyme-Based Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 19(2), 237-252. Scopus48 WoS46 Europe PMC34 |
| 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. Scopus344 WoS229 Europe PMC143 |
| 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. Scopus47 WoS47 |
| 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. Scopus121 WoS111 Europe PMC74 |
| 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. Scopus92 WoS79 Europe PMC61 |
| 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. Scopus53 WoS53 Europe PMC36 |
| 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. Scopus105 WoS96 Europe PMC57 |
| 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. Scopus58 WoS58 Europe PMC40 |
| 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. Scopus44 WoS40 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. Scopus210 WoS195 Europe PMC104 |
| 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 PMC19 |
| 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. Scopus19 WoS18 |
| 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. Scopus172 WoS232 Europe PMC110 |
| 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. Scopus33 WoS29 |
| 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)
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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 | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Co-Supervisor | Biomaterials-based cancer immunotherapy | South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute | - | Other | Part Time | Bansari Patel |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Board Member | High Performance Computer (HPC) Steering Committee | South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute | Australia |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2020 | Member | Materials Research Society | United States |
| 2016 - 2016 | Member | Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer | United States |
| Date | Title | Type | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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