Quang Duc TRAN, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Brandeis University,
Department of Physics,
415 South St., Waltham, MA 02453
Email: quangtran at brandeis.edu
About me
I was born and grew up in Vietnam. In 2012, I graduated from HoChiMinh City University of Technology, Vietnam with a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering (honored program). My research career started in summer 2012 when I pursued a direct-PhD program at Nanyang Technological University with an NTU Research Scholarship. I was conducting microfluidic studies on single cell isolation, in vitro tumor fractured by interstitial flow with Dr. Marcos and Dr. David Gonzalez-Rodriguez. I obtained my PhD in 2017 and then moved to France for postdoc research. 2018-2019, I worked at Institut de Physique de Nice in the group of Dr. Xavier Noblin on multiple projects using microfluidics on “zoospore” (a fungus microswimmer) and intracellular pH. 2019-2023, I worked with Dr. Cécile Leduc in Institut Pasteur and Institut Jacques Monod on characterizing dynamics of vimentin intermediate filaments and crosstalk between reconstitutional networks of vimentin and actin in vitro, under a co-supervision of Dr. Martin Lenz (LPTMS). Since June 2023, I have joined the group of Prof. Seth Fraden in Brandeis University to work on cytoskeletal active nematics.
Research interest
Microfluidics and microfabrication, active matter biophysics, biomechanics of cells and tumors, biophysics of intermediate filaments, organ-on-a-chip and organoids.
Education
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, 2012-2017
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Thesis: Microfluidic studies on flow manipulation to assist metastasis research
Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. MARCOS (NTU-MAE), Asst. Prof. David GONZALEZ-RODRIGUEZ (Université de Lorraine, France)
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING, 2007-2012
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Vietnam
Talent program in Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Thesis: Design and fabrication of duct cleaning robot
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Tan Tung PHAN
Research experience
06/2023 – present: Postdoctoral researcher
Brandeis University, MRSEC
Project: Active nematic
Advisor: Prof. Seth Fraden
Collaborators:
Objectives:
02/2021 – 05/2023: Postdoctoral researcher
Collaboration between LPTMS, Université Paris-Saclay and Insitut Jacques Monod
Project: Crosstalk between vimentin intermediate filaments and actin microfilaments at reconstitution level
Advisor: Dr. Martin Lenz (LPTMS), Dr. Cécile LEDUC (IJM)
Collaborators: Mr. Gérard PEHAU-ARNAUDET (Pasteur).
Objectives:
12/2019 – 01/2021: Postdoctoral researcher
Pasteur Insitute Paris, CNRS UMR 3691, 75015 Paris, France
Cell Polarity, Migration and Cancer Unit
Project: In vitro reconstitution of intermediate filament dynamics
Advisor: Dr. Cécile LEDUC (Pasteur)
Collaborators: Dr. Valerio SORICHETTI, Dr. Martin LENZ (Univ. Paris-Saclay), Dr. Sandrine ETIENNE-MANNEVILLE, Mr. Gérard PEHAU-ARNAUDET (Pasteur).
Objectives:
- Investigation of the mechanism and dynamics of the in vitro and in situ assembly of vimentin intermediate filaments, the key component of the cytoskeleton that determines the mechanical properties of cells and are often used as marker of cancer progression and metastasis
- Study the crosstalk of the cytoskeletal networks of intermediate filaments with actin and microtubules
04/2018 – 11/2019: Postdoctoral researcher
Université Côte d’Azur,
INstitut de PHYsique de NIce (INPHYNI), CNRS UMR 7010, 06108 Nice, France
Project 1: Individual and collective motions of swimming zoospores
Advisor: Dr. Xavier NOBLIN (INPHYNI)
Collaborators: Dr. Eric GALIANA (Insitut Sophia Agrobiotech), Dr. Fernando PERUANI (UCA), Dr. Philippe THOMEN (INPHYNI), Dr. Céline COHEN (INPHYNI).
Objectives: Design and fabrication of microfluidic devices to investigate individual and collective swimming motions of zoospores, a type of biflagellate swimmable fungal spores causing tremendous and harmful diseases on plant, under chemotaxis and physical interactions with environment.
Project 2: Electrotaxis of zoospores
Advisor: Dr. Xavier NOBLIN (INPHYNI)
Collaborators: Dr. Eric GALIANA, Dr. Marie LARROUSSE (Insitut Sophia Agrobiotech)
Objectives: Understand the electrotaxis behavior of Zoospores under an electric field and current, which is the condition induced by multiple ions appeared in soil near the host-root
Project 3: Rapid measurement of intracellular pH regulation using microfluidic perfusion system
Advisor: Dr. Xavier NOBLIN (INPHYNI), Dr. Laurent COUNILLON (LP2M-UCA)
Collaborators: Dr. Yann BOURET, Dr. Céline COHEN (INPHYNI), Dr. Gisèle Jarretou (LP2M)
Objectives: Development of a microfluidic system to raplidly measure the intracellular pH regulation over time, a phenomenon in which Cells perform multiple ion exchange processes to maintain their intracellular pH at 7
04/2017 – 12/2017: Researcher Fellow
Nanyang Technological University,
Maritime Institute @ NTU, Singapore 639798
Marcos Research Team – Leader: Dr. Marcos
Project: Development of microfluidic device to detect different types of bacteria in ballast water
Advisor: Assoc. Prof. MARCOS (NTU-MAE)
Collaborators: Assoc. Prof. Charles YANG, Dr. Tian Fook KONG, Dr. Xinhui SHEN (NTU-MAE)
Objectives: Development of a throughput, fast, reliable and low-cost microfluidic system to detect
different types of bacteria in the ballast water contained in cargo ships
2012-2017: Doctoral research
Nanyang Technological University (NTU),
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Singapore 639798
Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. MARCOS (NTU-MAE), Asst. Prof. David Gonzalez-Rodriguez (Université de Lorraine, France)
- Project: Sequential isolation of floating cancer cells under continuous flow
- Collaborators: Assoc. Prof. Raymond H. W. Lam, Dr. Dinglong Hu (City University of Hongkong), Dr. Tian Fook Kong (NTU-MAE).
- Objectives: Development of a microfluidic system to isolate circulating tumor cells that yields up to 100% trapping efficiency, which helps early detection of metastasis
- Project: Permeability and viscoelastic fracture of 3D model tumor under interstitial flow
- Objectives:
- Design and fabrication of a microfluidic system to characterize interstitial flow through a 3D
cellular aggregate mimicking the elevated interstitial flow resulted from high interstitial pressure
in a real tumor, and study how the aggregate behaves under different flow conditions - Development of a theoretical model of viscoelastic material to interpret and predict the
behaviors of the model tumor under variation of flow conditions
- Design and fabrication of a microfluidic system to characterize interstitial flow through a 3D
- Objectives:
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