College faculty member honored for excellence in research

Dr. Cuong Nguyen

Dr. Cuong Nguyen, a faculty member in the UF College of Veterinary Medicine’s department of infectious diseases and pathology, has received a 2017 Excellence Award for Assistant Professors from the University Provost’s Office.

Nguyen’s primary research interest is in the field of autoimmune diseases, specifically Sjögren’s syndrome. Sjögren’s syndrome frequently accompanies other immune system disease disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and is characterized most commonly by severe dryness of the eyes and mouth.

Nguyen’s laboratory focuses on the development of animal models to examine how the disease changes in the body over time, as well as on genetic susceptibility to the disease. Nguyen’s concentration on single-cell analysis and its application in autoimmunity and infectious diseases have laid a foundation for future immunotherapy and vaccine development. His research could be beneficial to animal and human patients.

He joined UF’s faculty in 2006 after completing a Ph.D. in immunology from UF.

“The award is a great honor and I am appreciative of the recognition of our research endeavor at the university,” Nguyen said. “I am fortunate to be surrounded by great team members in the laboratory and have the support from our department and college to pursue our scientific curiosity.”

The Provost’s Office offers the Excellence Award for Assistant Professors to recognize junior faculty for research achievement. Awards consist of a one-time allocation of $5,000 in support of research, funds that can be used to pay for travel, equipment, books, graduate students and other research-related expenses.