Thuy Ngo

Dr. Thuy Ngo is a Research Professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in the School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering. Her interdisciplinary work bridges cancer biology, molecular diagnostics, and bioinformatics, focusing on developing novel biomarker detection methods using circulating biomolecules.

Her research interests center on cancer biomarker discovery through analysis of circulating cell-free DNA, RNA, extracellular vesicles, and microbiome. She pioneers liquid biopsy approaches for early cancer detection, utilizing quantitative imaging, next-generation sequencing, and bioinformatics. Her work has significantly advanced cell-free RNA profiling for distinguishing malignant from pre-malignant conditions across solid and hematologic cancers.

Dr. Ngo's publication trajectory reveals a strategic evolution from fundamental DNA mechanics (2010-2016) to clinical translation of cfRNA diagnostics (2017-present). Her most impactful work on cell-free RNA biomarkers (2018) earned global recognition including MIT Technology Review's Top 10 Breakthrough Technologies and coverage by major media outlets.

• National Mathematics Olympiad (Second Place), Vietnam (2003)
• Honda YES Award, Japan (2006)
• Gregorio Weber Scholarship in Biophysics (2009)
• Best Talk Award, University of Illinois (2014)
• Cover Article, Clinical Chemistry (2017)
• Top 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2019 (MIT Tech Review)

Her laboratory drives innovation in cancer diagnostics through collaborations with OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and international consortia. Current projects focus on refining cfRNA signatures for pancreatic cancer detection in high-risk cohorts and optimizing blood processing protocols to preserve biomarker integrity. She actively mentors junior researchers in molecular diagnostics and has secured competitive funding including the Cancer Research UK/OHSU Project Award.