The John Richard Binford Memorial Award

The John Richard Binford Memorial Award honors a former chairman of the Department of Psychology. This award recognizes a doctoral degree recipient who excels in scholarship and has contributed to other areas within the discipline such as leadership, teaching, or service.

Daniel Nguyen is an MD/PhD candidate within the Department of Physiology. He was born in a small rural farming community in southern Vietnam and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1996. With the goal of pursuing a career in healthcare, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Exercise Science at the University of New England, where his passion for clinical medicine and medical research began to take shape. While a physical therapy clinical intern, he worked closely with diabetic and heart failure patients, which inspired a deep interest in research. After graduating, he accepted a research assistant position at Maine Medical Center Research Institute and studied the metabolic capabilities of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived beige adipocytes and reinforced his commitment to bridging scientific discoveries with clinical applications.

Currently, he is completing his dissertation research in the lab of Dr. Bradford Hill at the Center for Cardiometabolic Science. His project focuses on the role of TAK1 signaling in cardiac fibroblasts and its mechanistic relevance during cardiac repair and remodeling, with a goal of identifying alternative mechanisms that could inform the development of future therapeutic strategies. Daniel is also deeply committed to mentorship and teaching the next cohort of future scientists and clinicians. Through both formal and informal roles, he has mentored students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels to help them develop technical skills, navigate their academic journeys, and cultivate a genuine passion for discovery. Daniel’s mentor, Dr.Bradford Hill, details the many publications, presentations, scholarships, and leadership awards that Daniel’s discipline and hard work have garnered, and he calls his dissertation a “tour de force,” a term rarely used to describe dissertations. 

Daniel’s career ambition is to become a cardiologist and academic scientist. Daniel says this about his journey:  “What excites me most about this path is the ability to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge from bench to bedside. While my initial interest in science stemmed from a desire to help others through physical rehabilitation, my subsequent immersion in research and medicine has provided me with the skills and perspective needed to make meaningful contributions to the field.”