Passion is to reach the final destination of a scientist.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong and her students. Photo: NVCC

The female lecturer majoring in Botany currently working at the Institute of Natural Education - Vinh University is also a person who has a "fateful relationship" with many research projects related to the biosphere zones of Nghe An.

On the occasion of International Women's Day (March 8), Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong shared with Nghe An Newspaper about her career in scientific research.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH MUST BE LINKED TO PRACTICE

PV:Hello, congratulations on being awarded the title of Associate Professor in 2021. Many people admire you because you received this title at a very young age and in Biology, a field that is not easy for women?

Photo: Duc Anh

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong:Actually, this was a surprise and I still consider myself lucky. Because according to the regulations, by April every year, the State Council of Professors has finalized the registration list; but last year, due toCovid-19 epidemicshould be extended to 4/5 and i was probably the latest to apply, just under 1 hour before the deadline.

The reason for such a delay is because, like many people, I think I am too young and at the time of registration, I still have a research topic that is being prepared for acceptance to complete the criteria. The person who encouraged me to register is Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Bang - now the Principal of the school.

Looking back now, the process of completing my application was quite rushed. Not to mention, the process of defending the title of associate professor from the school-level evaluation board, the Biology department and the State Council of Professors also encountered many difficulties, because at that time I had a herniated disc and had to stay in one place, sometimes needing someone to help me walk.

Therefore, with the results achieved today, I am very happy because all my efforts, although quite urgent, have been recognized. However, I also think that being awarded the title of Associate Professor is just a title in the research process. What is important is what you can do after being awarded the title and whether your research direction can help society is the ultimate goal of a scientist.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong. Photo: Duc Anh

PV:You are a scientist in a field that seems to be reserved for men. When did you get involved in this work?

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong:After graduating from high school, I took the entrance exam for Biology Education and I still thought that I would become a teacher. But from the second year, when I approached the Botany subject taught by Dr. Pham Hong Bang, I saw that the plant world is very diverse and has many uses (different from all the knowledge I had learned and known since high school).

My chance to come to this field may have started with a brother who was studying for a master's degree at the school at that time. At that time, I was studying practice and was guided by him. Although he was only a few years older than me, "he knew everything when asked" and I really admired him. Gradually, during the process of doing experiments, I liked this subject and spent a lot of time learning from experts and in the second semester of my second year, I asked to join my brother in doing a project. I also did not think that later, he would be my husband, accompanying me in many projects.scientific research(Dr. Do Ngoc Dai - currently working at Nghe An University of Economics).

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong on a research trip. Photo: NVCC

PV:Many of your research projects are related to forests in the Central region, especially Nghe An. What attracts you to primary forests?

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong:Last year, when I had a herniated disc and cervical spondylosis, when I was examined and had an X-ray, the doctor said that my spine looked like that of a 50-year-old, not a 34-year-old. That was probably the result of the trips to the forest. As you know, my husband and I work in the same profession, but after graduating, my husband spent nearly 10 years participating in scientific research projects before applying for a formal job at a university. During that time, as colleagues with him, we seemed to spend all our time going to the forest, being attached to the forest.

Over the years, most of my research topics have been related to forests in the North Central region, and most of them are in Nghe An. Taking advantage of the weekends, I go to mountainous districts to work. I chose Nghe An because there is aWestern Biosphere Reservewith Pu Mat National Park, 2 Nature Reserves Pu Hoat and Pu Huong. Moreover, Nghe An's geographical location is also very special with one side bordering Thanh Hoa, one side bordering Laos and the East Sea, so the diversity of flora is very high. Particularly in Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, because it was only officially established in 2013, there is not much research on flora and since 2017, I have spent a lot of time on this land.

PV:Can you share more about your scientific research? What made you worry while doing the topic?

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong:Not all the topics I researched were funded projects. Many topics (especially in the early stages) were funded by us. Later, when I had some results, I realized that there were many issues that needed to be explored in these areas and I started asking for support. For example, the topic of vegetation in Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, research on monocotyledons, research on ferns, etc.

During the research, I also found that our conservation areas are very diverse, but there are still many things that have not been discovered. For example, here we discovered 3 types of yellow flower tea: Nghe An yellow flower tea, Pu Khac yellow flower tea and Pu Khac yellow flower tea. These 3 types are all yellow flower tea and as we know, currently in Que Phong and Tam Dao districts, yellow flower tea is now a product with very high economic value (high-class yellow flower tea in Tam Dao can cost up to more than 20 million VND/kg dried).

However, currently the exploitationyellow flower teamainly comes from the people but has not been exploited systematically, is still confused. Therefore, when evaluating the quality, we have not been able to distinguish each type and that is the reason why the economic value of Nghe An yellow flower tea is not as high as other provinces. From this reality, in the research process, our desire is not only to discover many types of yellow flower tea but also to evaluate which type of yellow flower tea has the best quality to be able to develop into a brand.

Photo: Duc Anh

Nowadays, the trend of scientific research is to be applied in practice and this is also our future direction, instead of just basic research and conservation. We will also delve into the assessment of the practical value of plant resources, types of medicinal production,medicinal, essential oils and in food technology... to be able to create products that can be applied in practice. However, to be successful, in addition to research, it requires the coordination of many units and many other supporting factors.

Pursue your passion despite difficulties

PV:I have reviewed your report and was surprised that up to now you have had more than 100 topics and articles published, of which 70 articles were published in international journals and 30 articles were published in national journals. To achieve this must not be easy?

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong:To get an article published, there must be a process of peer review and whether it is published in a domestic or international journal, it is difficult. The published articles are not my personal achievements but the efforts of the entire research team.

In addition to the collective efforts, we are also lucky, because among the articles published in international journals, the main research directions are on essential oils such as chemical composition of essential oils, activity of essential oils...

Currently, there are not many studies on essential oils in Vietnam and the world. Therefore, this research direction is considered quite prominent and easier to publish. That said, not all articles are published, some articles have to be submitted for more than 2 years to receive feedback from the editor... There is not much need for corrections and re-editing, because my husband and I are in the same profession and after each article, my husband will be the one to review, edit, and give comments to have the best article. We also receive support from very good researchers in the field to edit and give comments.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong has visited many Nature Reserves in Nghe An. Photo: NVCC

PV:As a university lecturer, you could have chosen a lighter job instead of focusing on research. But why did you choose this job and how do you balance your work with your role as a wife and mother?

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong:First of all, because of love and passion. But besides research, I still do teaching work according to the assignment of the department.

During the research process, I encountered many difficulties, especially when we both lived far away from home, had little family support and had two young children. In addition, I also worked in the Youth Union. Taking on many jobs and taking care of my children at the same time greatly affected my research work. There was a time when I had to ask my grandparents on both sides for help.

However, the more difficult it is, the more we have to try. Not long ago, our family was still renting a 25m2 room.²and it seems like I always have to work 2 or 3 times harder than others. The fact that I always have to try to "do 2 things at the same time" has seriously affected my health. In March 2019, I had a stroke but after that I only dared to stay in the hospital for 1 week because I had a child and a job that no one could replace me. Or the time I had a herniated disc, I was bedridden but I was still teaching graduate school and had to prepare to defend my thesis... At that time, I had to apply to teach online.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong is one of the outstanding young Party members honored by Nghe An Provincial Youth Union. Photo: NVCC

Looking back now, I think the only thing that helped me overcome it was optimism. Because, even though my health was not good, my mentality was still comfortable and I always wanted to pursue my passion. I also believe that the joy and happiness of a woman is to do what she likes and have a happy family!

PV:Thank you for this conversation!