I came to Vietnam from California more than 20 years ago I was not sure what to expect. Vietnam had been torn by war and hardship for many generations. The simple things many people take for granted every day - having enough food to eat, living in a safe place, getting a quality education, and building a family – all of these things were incredibly difficult for the people of Vietnam to achieve during many years of hard struggle. When I met Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram, I could not help but be impressed with this remarkable woman. She faced the obstacles faced by many Vietnamese people, and she rose above them to become an international woman of science. How does this happen?

With great passion and dedication
The foundation of a strong family and cultural identity are essential in Vietnam society. For several generations, Dr. Tram’s family has been defined by a tradition of academic excellence, a passion for science, and an appreciation for the beauty of helping others. Under the kind and loving guidance of her father Dr. Nguyen Van Truong, the little Tram studied hard, placing first in her classes in math and science. After she graduated with a degree in Pharmacy with an emphasis in Pharmacology from Hanoi Medical University in 1972, Dr. Tram won a nationwide competition to study abroad. She earned a PhD in Chemistry from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1991.
By the early 1990’s, Dr. Tram was already an established botanical researcher and formulator in Europe. She returned to her homeland determined to apply modern scientific methods to research Vietnamese medicinal herbs and develop lifesaving products to bring natural health and wellness to people around the world. She wanted the world to know about the botanical treasures of Vietnam! 
When Dr. Tram learned about the traditional herb Trinh Nu Hoang Cung, once kept secret and reserved for royalty, she recognized the potential for this herb to benefit people today. I find it especially remarkable that Dr. Tram had the foresight in 1990 to establish her first organic plantation. She recognized then that if she were ever to succeed commercially now, she had to be able to produce a standardized extraction of the herb in commercial quantities.

Crinum is a tricky herb - many sub-species look identical if you are not an expert, and most are worthless. Through generations of natural propagation, Tram enhanced specific properties in her crinum, resulting in a proprietary cultivar with a unique DNA that delivers key alkaloids not present in other crinums, to support both men’s prostate health and women’s hormonal balance and uterine health. This plant Crinum latifolium L. var crilae Tram & Khanh is named after Tram and botanist Dr. Khanh. Don’t be fooled by what we in the U.S. call “copycats” – genuine Crila® is the only source of Dr. Tram’s clinically researched prostate herb.
After 15 years of pre-clinical research, the Ministry of Health conducted clinical trials for prostate health in 2005, and uterine health in 2007. These successful results set the stage to bring Crila® out to the world. In 2010, Dr. Tram’s new GMP factory was registered as a manufacturer with the U.S. FDA and she licensed distribution of Crila® outside of Vietnam. 
I began to collaborate with Dr. Tram 7 years ago to bring Crila® to the world. Her passion and dedication often inspired me (and continues to inspire me) as we struggled together to meet the challenges of ever-stringent FDA regulation. We also faced the understandable scepticism of the doctors, lawyers and business people who asked “You have an herb that does what? And it comes from where?”
Today, Dr. Tram is considered the world’s leading authority on the scientific properties of Crinum latifolium. Sales of Crila® from my company’s U.S. based warehouse go to customers in 13 countries, including increasing numbers of doctors who are providing it to their patients. American scientists are now collaborating with Dr. Tram for further research and clinical trials of Crila® in the U.S. The first American research on Crila® which was conducted with the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, now proves what Dr. Tram always believed - Crila® is Estrogen Free. 
The fact that Crila® appears to deliver the benefits of estrogen, without the risks associated with estrogen, is very significant. This research was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Government, National Institutes of Health and was also supported both by Dr. Tram, and by my company Crila Health, which distributes Crila® in North America. The findings were presented in October at the North American Menopause Society annual medical conference in Washington DC, and the research will be published in the December 2014 issue of Menopause medical journal.
As I write this, I am attending this medical conference and exhibiting to American doctors, OBGYNs, nurses and nurse practitioners who are learning about Crila® for the first time. They are amazed to hear about this Vietnamese woman scientist who has brought this important new product to market, and to learn about the 24 years of science behind it.

Crila® is very well received in America
Crila® is especially in demand as a natural prostate herb because it is so effective and has virtually no side effects. 50% of American men by the age of 50 begin to notice a decline in their prostate health.
Dr. Michael C. Scott, OB/GYN (Atlanta, GA) says “I recommend Crila® for my patients because it works so well!”.
Sheila MacDonald (Canada) said, “Within 2-3 days my hot flashes disappeared and I was now sleeping through the night.” 
Author Bill Henderson (Texas) wrote a lead article in the July issue of his health & wellness newsletter, saying “Of the dozen or more prostate products I’ve tried, this was the best.” Within days of the article going out to Bill’s readers and appearing on the internet, stocks of Crila® in the U.S. warehouse were sold out.
Ken Malik, the Founder of the Prostate Awareness Foundation in San Francisco said “I am sleeping thru the night more than half the time and when I do get up to urinate it is only once per night.”