About us
BIRALAB is a pioneering research group in Raman spectroscopic analysis combined with artificial intelligence in Vietnam. Building on established strengths in biomedical diagnostics, the group pursues a strategy of “one technology core, layered applications”, developing intelligent spectroscopic sensing systems that process data at the edge and leave the sample intact, with the aim of delivering low-cost, accessible public health solutions.
Guiding principles
The four principles below are quoted verbatim from the Appendix of the VNU Strong Research Group recognition decision, section “Purpose, objectives and operating principles”.
a) BIRALAB operates on a non-profit basis, taking community benefit, public health and the advancement of Vietnamese science and technology as its guiding purpose.
b) All lawful income (grant funding, research projects, science and technology services, and donations) is used in full to reinvest in scientific research, technology development, human resource training and community service activities; no profit is distributed to members in any form.
c) The group is eligible and permitted to receive grants and non-refundable aid from science foundations, non-profit organisations and non-governmental organisations, domestic and international, in accordance with the laws of Vietnam and the regulations of VNU Hanoi.
d) Financial activity is managed openly and transparently through the host institution, with periodic reporting as required.
Supporting documents
Download Decision 4081/QĐ-ĐHQGHN of 12 August 2026 recognising the group as a VNU Strong Research Group. This is the one-page Vietnamese original, without the appendix. An English translation will be published once certified by the host institution.
Group profile
The Vietnamese and English names are reproduced exactly as they appear in Article 1 of Decision 4081/QĐ-ĐHQGHN. BIRALAB is the group's trading name and domain name; it does not replace the name in the decision.
| Vietnamese name | Nhóm nghiên cứu Công nghệ phân tích quang phổ Raman và Trí tuệ nhân tạo |
|---|---|
| English name | Research Group on Raman Spectroscopy Analysis Technology and Artificial Intelligence |
| Trading name | BIRALAB — Biomedical Raman & AI Analytics Laboratory |
| Host institution | International School, Vietnam National University, Hanoi |
| Group leader | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Tùng, VNU International School |
| Category | VNU Strong Research Group, applied research orientation |
| Recognition decision | No. 4081/QĐ-ĐHQGHN of 12 August 2026, issued by the Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi |
| Operating status | Non-profit research group |
History and recognition milestones
2023
Foundation in AI for healthcare
A VNU Strong Research Group on artificial intelligence in healthcare was recognised under Decision 78/QĐ-ĐHQGHN, establishing the people and the methods on which BIRALAB was later built.
2025
Convergence on Raman × AI
Two existing capabilities — spectroscopy and biomedical machine learning — were merged into a single research direction under the strategy “one technology core, layered applications”.
2026
Recognised as a VNU Strong Research Group
The research group “Raman Spectroscopy Analysis Technology and Artificial Intelligence” was recognised as a VNU Strong Research Group under Decision 4081/QĐ-ĐHQGHN of 12 August 2026, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Tùng of the VNU International School. Its non-profit operating status is stated in the decision. The group's digital presence launched at biralab.org.
Ahead
Top 3 in Vietnam, aiming for the global top 30
To become the analytical and standardisation layer of Vietnam's Raman ecosystem through the Vietnam Raman-AI Network and an open dataset released with the BIRALAB preprocessing standard.
Host institution
BIRALAB's scientific and financial activity is administered through the International School, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. All funding is received through the host institution, with full documentation and periodic reporting.