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About Us
At the Tran Lab, we study how small RNAs and long non-coding RNAs contribute to cancer, with a particular focus on head and neck cancers. Our research explores how these RNAs work together to regulate genes involved in tumour growth and cancer development.
A major focus of our work is the development of RNA-based diagnostics for cancer detection. We are designing less-invasive biomarker tests using saliva and blood, with current projects focused on cancers such as oropharyngeal cancer and anal squamous cell carcinoma.
We also investigate the role of HPV16 in cancer, including how the virus interacts with host RNA networks to drive disease progression. More recently, our research has expanded into cross-kingdom RNA regulation, exploring how RNAs from viruses and larger parasites may influence human health through microRNA-based systems.
If you are passionate about RNA biology and its potential to transform research, we would love to collaborate. Our lab welcomes new ideas, students and partnerships.
For all enquiries, please contact: nham.tran@uts.edu.au
Lab News
We have lab members working on various aspects of RNA biology in diseases. Between running gels, performing PCRs and growing cells, we find the time to have fun and enjoy our science!
Our Lab also trains interns through six-month placements. Our latest intern, Emma, recently completed her rotation. Emma is a third-year Science student who worked on a project investigating parasitic worms and the role of small RNAs.
In other news, our PhD student Lin recently presented his CA1 on medical device regulation and the use of machine learning and AI to predict medical device failures.
If you are interested in completing an internship, Honours project or PhD with the Tran Lab, please contact Nham.
Nicole Burrows
Nicole is a final-year Science student who joined the Lab for her Honours program.
Her project investigates diagnostic assays for detecting HPV16 in oropharyngeal cancer, with a focus on saliva as a liquid biopsy.
Nicole is establishing multiplex qPCR reactions targeting HPV16 E6, E7 and the upstream regulatory region (URR) to support non-invasive detection and monitoring.
Roxy Ghalandarabadi
Roxy joined the lab as an Honours student this year. Her project investigates the prevalence of HPV16 in anal squamous cell carcinoma. She is developing diagnostic assays for HPV detection using swabs and FFPE tissue, including multiplex qPCR reactions to determine the presence of HPV viruses.
Current and Previous funding agencies which have supported our work
ARC Discovery Projects - (DP210101337)
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MTP Connect REDI Fellowship for 2023
UTS Chancellors Fellowship Program
Funder: Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). Award Number: W81XWH-11-1-0400 - Proposal Number: PC100037
Various Seed and PhD grant funding
1.Research Scholarship Funding 2023-25
2. ConJoint Grant 2025-27
Selected Lab Publications
1. Bustin SA, Ruijter JM, van den Hoff MJB, Kubista M, Pfaffl MW, Shipley GL, Tran N, Rodiger S, Untergasser A, Mueller R et al: MIQE 2.0: Revision of the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments Guidelines. Clin Chem 2025.
2. Hill M, Stapleton S, Nguyen PT, Sais D, Deutsch F, Gay VC, Marsh DJ, Tran N: The potential regulation of the miR-17-92a cluster by miR-21. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2025, 178:106705.
3. Sais D, Chowdhury S, Dalton JP, Tran N, Donnelly S: Both host and parasite non-coding RNAs co-ordinate the regulation of macrophage gene expression to reduce pro-inflammatory immune responses and promote tissue repair pathways during infection with fasciola hepatica. RNA Biol 2024, 21(1):62-77.
4. Chowdhury S, Sais D, Donnelly S, Tran N: The knowns and unknowns of helminth-host miRNA cross-kingdom communication. Trends Parasitol 2024, 40(2):176-191.
5. Deutsch F, Pham D, Hien ND, Nguyen T, Tran N, Sais D, Tran N: Trends in Head and Neck Cancer incidence in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam between 1995-2015. 2023.