Thinh Toan Vu is a dedicated Research Manager and Data Management Head at the Center for Innovation in Mental Health (CIMH), housed within the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH). Thinh’s research focus centers on implementing science methods to scale up integrated care models for mental health, particularly in the implementation and efficacy of evidence-based depression care among underserved BIPOC populations in both New York City and Vietnam.

To date, Thinh has authored 28 total publications, including 27 peer-reviewed journal articles and one book, along with 21 conference abstracts. His research work is regularly featured in esteemed outlets such as the PLOS ONE, Journal of Urban Health, BMC Public Health, Journal of Community Health, and Journal of Public Health Policy. Thinh also serves on the Editorial Board of PLOS ONE and as an invited reviewer for BMJ Open, Journal of Cancer Education, American Public Health Association Conferences, and International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users.

Thinh’s achievements include prestigious fellowships from the Fogarty UCLA/Vietnam Training Program in Evaluation and Advanced Methodologies in HIV/AIDS Research (2018-2020), the CIMH Global Mental Health Fellowship (twice, in 2021 and 2022), the Cancer Epidemiology Education in Special Populations at the CUNY School of Medicine (twice, in 2022 and 2023), the Fogarty-IeDEA Mentorship Program at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (2024-2026), the Weill Cornell Medicine Career Advancement for Research in Health Equity (CARE T37) program (2024), and the Point Foundation BIPOC Scholar (2024). 

Thinh has received numerous awards, including the Donald & Mary Ellen Passantino International Students Award 2022 from the CUNY University Student Senate, the Emerging Professional Award 2023 and an induction into the Hall of Fame from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, the Cancer Public Health Student Award 2023 from the APHA Cancer Forum, the Professional Growth Award 2023 and the Student Success Award 2024 from the CUNY SPH Graduate Student Government Association, the Dean’s Doctoral Dissertation Award 2024 from CUNY SPH, and the Young Professional Award 2024 in International Health from the APHA International Health Section.

Thinh obtained his MS in Epidemiology from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in 2020 and is currently a PhD candidate in Community Health and Health Policy at CUNY SPH. Thinh’s overarching career goals are to advance health equity for BIPOC communities, mentor underrepresented students and researchers, and conduct innovative research that contributes to health equity initiatives.