1. Commanders:
• Head of Department: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Van Khoa
• Deputy Head of the Department: Dr. Le Thi Kim Dung
2. Traditions:
Owing to the need of teaching basic biological knowledge for military doctors of the first training courses of Military Medical University, a group of lecturers and technicians began teaching Biology in 1965 led by comrade Nguyen Quy Nhuong. On June 20th, 1968, the Faculty of Basic Sciences was established and headed by Captain Dr. Cung Binh Trung, including the Department of Biology. Since then, June 20th every year has been considered as the traditional day of the Department.
From 1968 to 1970, 5 comrades who officially taught for the Department include Cung Binh Trung, Nguyen Quy Nhuong, Nguyen Dinh Khan, Nguyen Tran Chien, Vu Xuan Khoi and two technical staff members. The Department has been training long-term military doctors for the courses of 63, 64 and 65.
In order to meet new requirements and tasks in teaching basic scientific knowledge, the University decided to separate the Faculty of Basic Science into 4 independent Departments such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology in the mid-December in 1970. From now on, the Department of Biology was officially established as an independent specialized unit led by the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of VMMU.
The practical laboratory was located in Trai Nhan, Van village, Thanh Liet commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi near the Temple Dedicated to Chu Van An during the period of evacuating and fighting against the US imperialists.
From 1971 to 1978, the number of teachers, technicians, and civil servants significantly changed. Some comrades left the Department due to the need of moving to other jobs or retiring from the army. Some teachers work for the Department namely Dang Chi Thanh, Nguyen Van Quat, Huynh Thu Luong, Vu Van Dieu, Nguyen Van Quyet, Nguyen Hong Ban, Hoang Xuan Tam, Dinh Thi Phuong Thao, Le Thu Hong, Nguyen Thi Minh Hang, Nguyen Thi Bam.
After 8 years of teaching and doing scientific research, the Department of Biology developed in all aspects. On May in 1978, the Ministry of Defense decided to officially establish the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics.
During the development period, the Department always focuses on team building. It is great honor for the Department to have comrade Cung Binh Trung who successfully defended his associate doctoral thesis at VMMU and is also the first person to successfully defend associate doctoral thesis in Vietnamese medicine in August,1980.
Due to the need of teaching for both long-term medical and pharmaceutical trainees, the Ministry of Defense approved a new payroll in 2017. Accordingly, the Department of Biology – Medical Genetics is organized into 2 units including Genetic Biomedicine and Botany.
Commanders and Head of Departments and Faculties:
No Full Name Job Titles
Deputy Head of Department Head of Department
1 Colonel Assoc. Prof., PhD. Cung Binh Trung 1978-1988
2 Colonel Dr. Nguyen Tran Chien 1984-1988 1989- June, 2007
3 Colonel Dr. Dang Chi Thanh  1988-June, 2007 Head of Department (June, 2007-November, 2008)
4 Colonel Assoc. Prof., PhD. Tran Van Khoa November, 2007 – November, 2008 November, 2008- now
5 Colonel, PhD. Le Thi Kim Dung November, 2008 – now
6 Lieutenant Colonel, PhD. Trieu Tien Sang November, 2018 – now

3. Functions and tasks:
Designing the training programs in the field of Biology and Medical Genetics and conducting teaching activities, compiling textbooks on Biology – Medical Genetics for students.
Conducting research activities in the field of Biology – Medical Genetics.
Coordinating and synergizing with other agencies and units to carry out tasks.
4. List of lecturers: 
Head of the Department: Colonel, Assoc. Prof., PhD. Tran Van Khoa, Deputy secretary of the Party committee.
Deputy Head of the Department: Colonel, PhD. Le Thi Kim Dung, Secretary of the Party cell, cum Academic Affairs Officer of the Department.
Lieutenant Colonel, Biology MA Nguyen Thuy Huyen
Lieutenant Colonel, Biology MA Dang Thi Hong
Lieutenant Colonel, Biology MA Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga
Lieutenant Colonel, Genetics PhD., University Pharmacist, Head of Department of Genetic Biomedicine Trieu Tien Sang
Major, Biomedical – Genetics PhD. Ngo Truong Giang
Major, Genetics Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Ha
Lieutenant Nguyen Ha Huong Ly
5. Outstanding achievements: 
5.1. Training achievements:
Since 1966, the Department has been teaching General Biology for long-term military doctors and pharmacists (from the course Y1, 1961).
The Department also offers classes for doctors, medical colleges, high school technicians, laboratory bachelors, nursing bachelors, biomedical electronics engineers, traditional medicine doctors; classes for doctors and pharmacists from Laos and Cambodia and specialized classes for resident doctors in the field of Genetic Biomedicine.
The Department has also been editing and compiling many textbooks for teaching undergraduate and post graduate students in the field of Practice in Biology and Medical Genetics, Medical genetics, Principles of genetics, Medical genetics, Molecular biology, Systemic genetics applied in modern medicine.

5.2. Regarding scientific research
Since its formation, the Department has engaged in scientific research in the fields of Biology and Medical Genetics. In particular, since the early 1970s, the Department has participated in researching the genetic consequences of the toxic chemicals that the US sprayed on southern Vietnam. The research results of the topic have provided important materials for the scientific documentary titled “Hai muoi nam sau” which was awarded the “Bong Sen Bac” award at the Vietnam Film Festival in 1983, and in the same year the film was also awarded the “Silver Dragon” award at the Karatovie international film festival in Poland.
Up to now, the Department has chaired and participated in nearly 60 scientific projects at all levels, more than 10 international articles and hundreds of articles in domestic specialized journals have been published on scientific topics researched by the Department; The department has also successfully guided many postgraduates, graduate students, and scientific research students at all levels and has won many high awards. Especially in 4 consecutive conferences 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, the Department’s topics won the highest prizes at the Youth Science and Technology Conference for national universities and colleges of medicine and pharmacy. In 2016, won the First Prize in the military science and technology competition for youth; VIFOTEC second prize, in 2017, recorded in the Vietnam Golden Book of Creativity; In 2018, awarded a patent for a useful solution in the field of pre-embryo transfer genetic diagnosis for muscle atrophy for in vitro fertilized embryos; In 2023, awarded a patent for a useful solution for the Sertia Sp. HVQY-IGR bacterial strain carries the gene encoding recombinant PIGC protein. Many scientific research projects of the Department have high scientific and practical value, and are applied practically to serve diagnosis and treatment. Together with the Military Institute of Clinical Embryology and Histology, the Department is the first unit in the country to successfully implement genetic diagnosis techniques before embryo transfer, contributing to bringing happiness to hundreds of families nationwide, avoiding having children with genetic diseases.
5.3. Rewards
The Department’s collective has been awarded the third-class Victory Medal, has been awarded the title of determination-to-win unit for many years and has been awarded many certificates of merit from the Academy and the Ministry of National Defense.
Below are some noble awards of the Department’s collective:
No. Year Form and content of rewards Number and date of decision to recognize the emulation title; decision-making agency
1 1981 Certificate of merit BK No. 236, July 1, 1981, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics
2 1981 Determination-to-win unit Decision No. 12/4-QP, January 29, 1982, Excellent completion of tasks in 1981, Deputy Minister of National Defense
3 1982 Determination-to-win unit December 24, 1982, Deputy Minister of National Defense
4 1983 Victory medal Resolution No. 312-KT/HDNN, May 4, 1983, President
6. Mission, vision, core values
6.1. Mission:
Participating in training high quality medical human resources; scientific research on genetic biomedicine; Applying advanced technology to genetic biomedicine to meet the needs of protecting and improving the health of soldiers and people.
6.2. Vision:
Continuously strive to become a teaching and research unit in medical genetics that stands alongside the genetics and biomedicine departments of the country’s leading medical universities.
6.3. Core values:
Quality, discipline, creativity, cooperation