Dr. Hung Nguyen has been appointed as the Regional Director, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Asia, with effect from 1st August 2025.
Dr. Nguyen is a Senior Principal Scientist at ILRI and leads the One Health under the CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Science Program. His research focuses on the intersections of agriculture and health, with particular emphasis on food safety, infectious and zoonotic diseases, and the application of risk assessment and interventions in informal and traditional markets. A strong advocate for operationalizing and investing in One Health, he applies this approach across his work to address complex global health challenges.
At ILRI and CGIAR, Dr. Nguyen previously served as Health Program Leader (2020–2025) and as Regional Representative for East and Southeast Asia (2017–2020). He has held key research leadership roles across CGIAR, including leading the CGIAR Initiative on One Health, the Food Safety Flagship of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), and contributions to the CGIAR COVID-19 Hub.
He is a member of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP). He was a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) and was a WHO expert to investigate the origins of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China in 2021.
With over 20 years of professional experience across Asia, Africa, and Europe, Dr. Nguyen combines strong scientific expertise with a proven track record in building institutions and partnerships. Before joining ILRI, Dr. Nguyen worked at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and at Sandec/Eawag in Switzerland. He co-founded and directed the Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER) at the Hanoi University of Public Health in Vietnam and coordinated the regional initiative on Ecohealth field-building in Southeast Asia. He is from Vietnam and holds a PhD in Life and Environmental Sciences from France. He has widely published in One Health, food safety, agriculture, and livestock. He is an Associate Editor and a guest editor of a number of journals.
My Projects
My Publications
Patterns and factors influencing antibiotic use among poultry farmers in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam
Review of a decade of fauna research in Côte d'Ivoire with insights into wildlife health and zoonotic transmissions
