Rate My Professor Hien Vu

Hien Vu is an Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Otago's Dunedin School of Medicine, part of the Faculty of Medicine in the Health Sciences Division. She holds an MHEd qualification and her research centers on neurodevelopmental conditions and mental health. Her primary research focus is the improvement of health and wellbeing of children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions in New Zealand, achieved through quantitative research using population-level data. As a member of the Quantitative Social Science Research Group within the department, Vu contributes to key projects such as trends in autism prevalence and health service use in Aotearoa, life course outcomes for autistic children and young people and their families using population-level linked data, and health, labour market, and social service characteristics for individuals with specific conditions like Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, all leveraging New Zealand's Integrated Data Infrastructure.

Vu's research outputs include significant peer-reviewed publications and conference contributions. In 2026, she co-authored 'Enrolment, attendance, and education resourcing and support among 5-12 year old autistic students in Aotearoa New Zealand: a nationwide cross-sectional study' in the International Journal of Population Data Science. In 2025, contributions appeared in JAMA Pediatrics with 'Mortality risk of youth with neurodevelopmental conditions: An Aotearoa New Zealand nationwide birth cohort study,' and in the Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health with 'School attendance among autistic students in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A population cross-sectional study using the integrated data infrastructure.' Earlier in 2024, she presented at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 23rd Annual Meeting on 'Mortality risk among autistic children and young people: A nationwide birth cohort study' and 'Outcomes across the lifecourse: Exploring health, educational, labour market, social services, and criminal justice system outcomes of autistic children and young people using linked population-level data.' These studies highlight critical disparities in mortality, school attendance, and support resourcing for neurodiverse youth, informing public health and education policy in New Zealand.