Le Son Tran, PhD

University of Queensland, Australia. Immunology & Genetics

EDUCATION

  • The University of Queensland (07/2011- 01/2015), Degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Immunology and Cancer
  • The University of Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam, 09/2007- 07/2010), Degree: Master of Genetics, GPA: Excellent (8.1/10), Thesis Score:10/10, Rank: 2/22
  • The University of Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam, 09/2003- 09/2007), Degree: Bachelor of Biotechnology, GPA: Excellent (8.72/10), Thesis Score:10/10, Rank: 1/142

ABOUT ME

I am an immunologist by training. I currently lead the R&D team at Gene Solutions and Medical Genetics Institute in Vietnam. My team is working towards developing liquid biopsy tests for early cancer detection and neoantigen based therapies for cancer treatment. Before joining Gene Solutions, I worked in different state of the art laboratories in Australia, France and Singapore. These experiences allowed me to gain in depth knowledge and technical skills in cell biology, genetics, and immunology.

MOST RECENT ACADEMIC HONOURS OR AWARDS

  • 2024 Conquer Cancer Merit Award at ASCO Breakthrough
  • 2nd Prize Abstract award, Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics (2022)
  • Alexandre Yersin Prize for outstanding publication (2021-2022)
  • Shortlisted Career Development Award (ASTAR, 2020)
  • ICIS Milstein Travel Award (7/2017)
  • Australasian Society for immunology postdoc international travel award (6/2017)
  • The CASS Foundation Travel Grant (3/2017)
  • 3rd Prize ECR Best of the Best Session part of MHTP (Monash Health Translational Precinct) Research Week (11/2016)
  • Top 8 finalist of ECR Victoria Infection and Immunity Network
  • UQ Diamantina Publication of the month (11/2014)
  • UQ Diamantina Student Travel Award (10/2014)
  • Australasian Society of Immunology Travel bursary, ASI (12/2013)
  • Cancer Council Queensland travel grants in-add (11/2013)
  • Jian Zhou Travel award, UQ Diamantina Institute (8/2013)
  • Australia EMBL Travel Grant for PhD student (5/2013)
  • University of Queensland scholarship for international student (2011-2014)
  • The best presentation award - summer school awarded by Tsukuba University (August, 2010)
  • Postgraduate TOSHIBA (Japan) scholarship for the academic year 2009-2010
  • April- August 2009, DUO internship, Sponsoring Organization: EGIDE - France. The scholarship was a 4-month working period at Professor Robert BAROUKI's lab, Inserm UMRS 747, Université Paris Descartes.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS​

  • Team leader at Gene Solutions and Medical Genetics Institute (2019-2023)
  • Organizer of The Centre Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases’ weekly roundtable meeting (2016 -2017).
  • Organizer of Victoria Infection and Immunity Network Young Investigator Symposium 2017
  • Supervisor of 4 Honour students (2015-2017), 1 exchange master II student from France (2016) and co-supervisor of 1 PhD student (2015- 2018).
  • Invited reviewer of several journals (e.g., Cytokines, Mucosal Immunology, Plosone, Helicobacter, Scientific Reports, European Respiratory Journal, Frontiers in Immunology).
  • Representative of The Hudson Institute at Victoria Day of Immunology (2016-2017): introduce and educate the public about scientific projects.
  • Member of the Monash Medical Centre Animal Ethic Committee: assess proposals to use animals for scientific purpose by other scientists

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2007
10/2007 - 01/2008
Applied Hybridoma technique
Visiting scientist at Centre de Recherches Biomédicales des Cordeliers- InSerm UMRS 872- Université Pierre et Marie Curie- Université Paris Descartes.
  • Responsibility: Applied Hybridoma technique to produce monoclonal antibodies against HPV oncoproteins and develop immune-based assays for early detection of cervical cancer.
  • Accomplishment:
    • Established SOPs for monoclonal antibody production in the laboratory in Vietnam.
    • Developed immune based assays using these monoclonal antibodies to detect HPV in cervical cancer patient tissues.
2008
2008 - 06/2011
Lecturer and Research Assistant
Lecturer and Research Assistant, The Department of Genetics, University of Science– Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
  • Responsibility: Established molecular and biochemical techniques to produce and purify Human papillomavirus recombinant proteins and participated in lecturing Molecular Biology Course.
  • Accomplishment:
    • Optimized and established standard operating procedures (SOPs) for production and purification of recombinant viral proteins.
    • Generated a collection of plasmid vectors with different tags for producing various types of recombinant proteins in E.coli.
2011
07/2011 - 01/2015
Postgraduate student
Postgraduate student, The University of Queensland, Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
  • Responsibility: studied how Human Papillomavirus subverts the host immune responses and identify potential targets for the development of therapeutic vaccines.
  • Accomplishment:
    • Published 2 first author articles and 3 co-author articles.
    • Established a preclinical model of dermatitis which attracted the interest of  a biopharmaceutical company (Implicit Bioscience) in testing the efficacy of their potent anti-inflammatory drugs.
2015
03/2015 - 06/2018
Research Fellow
Research Fellow, The Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Responsibility: Developed and applied advanced molecular, immunological techniques and in vivo infection models to understand how Helicobacter pylori cause gastritis and stomach cancer.
  • Accomplishment:
    • Obtained a license for CRISPR/Cas9 mediated NOD1 knock-out gastric epithelial cells with Applied Biological Materials (abm, UK).
    • Published 3 research articles (1 first author paper), 2 review articles, 1 method paper and 1 book chapter.
2018
07/2018 - 10/2020
Research Fellow
Research Fellow, The Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, ASTAR, Singapore
  • Responsibility: investigated the role of O-glycosylation in extra cellular matrix degradation in arthritis.
  • Accomplishment:
    • Filed a technology disclosure and patent for targeting the O-glycosylation pathway for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
    • Published a co-author paper in Nature Cell Biology Journal
04/2018- Present
R&D team leader
Research and Development team leader, Gene Solutions, Vietnam, Medical Genetics Institute
  • Responsibility:
    • Develop liquid biopsy-based assays for multicancer early detection based on multimodal analysis of cell free DNA methylation and fragmentomics
    • Develop neoantigen based cancer immunotherapies
  • Accomplishment: 12 published papers, a technology patent (USPTO) and a liquid biopsy test commercialized since 1/2023

PUBLICATIONS

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Test Process

01

Request the test

Request the test through your primary care doctor. A prescription and 10ml blood collection are required.

02

Sequencing of cfDNA

Your extracted DNA from the plasma will be sequenced by Next–generation ctDNA technology to analyze methylation profile and multi–feature of DNA.

03

Returning results

Receive your ctDNA signal analysis results after 20 working days from the time sample is received at Gene Solutions Genomics Singapore laboratory.

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