The journey of a PhD researcher rarely makes headlines. It’s a quiet path – one built on vision, resilience and finding the patterns through both success and failure, until a discovery begins to take shape. But even in that quiet work, there are moments that begin to ripple – through insight, through intention, through impact. It’s within this rhythm of inquiry and persistence that an inspired researcher found her path.
Ngoc To’s journey began in healthcare, shaped early on by her studies in public health and deepened through years of hands-on experience in international clinical trials at AstraZeneca. It was during one of those trials that everything shifted. A treatment designed for diabetes began to show unexpected benefits – improving heart and kidney outcomes in ways no one had predicted. But what struck Ngoc wasn’t just the surprise – it was the realisation that those signals had been buried in the data all along. The challenge wasn’t the absence of insight, but the lack of tools to harness them.
“Witnessing this evolution firsthand was not just a professional journey,” she says. “It was a profound reminder of the power of data in driving medical advancements.”
That moment sparked a deeper conviction: that the future of healthcare lies in bridging medical knowledge and data science through AI – not to replace human expertise, but to extend it. It also gave her the desire to further her expertise and pursue an advanced degree.
“My first choice was always RMIT,” she says. “And I never had to consider any other options.”
Now deep into a PhD focused on biosignal-based AI, Ngoc is exploring how artificial intelligence can help identify meaningful patterns in subtle physiological data – with the goal of improving early diagnosis and accessible care.
Later this year, Ngoc will take her work further as part of a prestigious Fulbright research exchange to the United States. There, she’ll collaborate with global experts in biomedical data security and responsible AI – exploring how to protect patient data while still enabling the breakthroughs that AI can offer.
Her journey hasn’t been without setbacks, but she’s managed to stay grounded in a mindset shaped by not clinging to success or dwelling on failure. “You never win forever, nor do you lose forever,” she says. “This is my philosophy in life as well.” It’s a perspective that helps her learn from both – giving her work quiet resilience and forward momentum.
Like the research she leads, Ngoc’s path to growth has come through quiet ripples – of insight, persistence, and purpose. One that’s always been about asking better questions, finding deeper meaning, and being ready for what’s next.
Ngoc To shares her journey from clinical trials to AI-driven research – and the mindset that’s helped her stay grounded through every challenge.
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