Profiles

Dr. Nguyen is a cardiovascular imaging scientist and cardiologist with appointments in Radiology, Biomedical Physics, and Bioengineering. She earned a medical degree from UCLA, trained in the Osler internal medicine program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, completed a general cardiology fellowship at UCLA, and served as a research fellow in the advanced cardiovascular imaging section at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Nguyen's research focuses on the development and translation of cardiovascular imaging techniques. Her lab conducts pre-clinical and clinical development of iron oxide enhanced MRI techniques for ischemic, vascular, and congenital heart disease. She co-directs a cardiovascular imaging research lab and co-founded the FeraSafe Multicenter MRI Registry, which consists of over fifteen institutions worldwide. Through the FeraSafe consortium, she and colleagues develop and standardize methods to enable safe and effective use of iron-based, contrast-enhanced MRI for patients with kidney impairment and cardiorenal complications. She collaborates with data scientists on the use of radiomics for advancement of precision medicine. Her work also explores methods to integrate wireless technology with traditional models of healthcare delivery. Her scientific work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the Veterans Health Administration.

A Vietnam War refugee, Dr. Nguyen is passionate about helping our nation’s veterans who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. Dr. Nguyen founded the cardiac MRI program at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, which has served as a model for university/VA partnerships at other institutions. She collaborates with VA stakeholders and industry partners to facilitate veterans' access to advanced cardiac imaging technology and cardiovascular clinical trials. As the founder and former director of the telecardiology clinic at VA Greater Los Angeles, Dr. Nguyen continues to promote the integration of telemedicine with traditional models of healthcare delivery to improve veterans' access to cardiovascular care.

Dr. Nguyen has worked on public policy issues from the time she was a medical student; she obtained grant funding from The California Endowment and brought together several organizations to launch the first initiative to address minority health disparities in the School of Medicine at UCLA. She continues to engage the public on issues relating to healthcare delivery and medical education. Her writing has been published in the general media including Forbes, USA Today, Medical Economics, STAT News, and The Hill. She also serves the broader community through involvement on several advisory boards and mentorship of women in STEM-related disciplines.