Trong Tran

Dr. Trong Tran is a Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), affiliated with the School of Science, Technology and Engineering and the Centre for Bioinnovation. He holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Griffith University (2015) and completed a NIH postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (2015–2017). His research focuses on discovering bioactive compounds from natural sources (plants, microorganisms, bee products) for applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Key areas include neuroprotective honey compounds, antidiabetic propolis extracts, and antifungal agents derived from termite gut microbiota.

Education:

• PhD in Organic Chemistry, Griffith University (2015)
• MPhil, Griffith University
• BChemEng, HCMUT (Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology)

Research Interests:

• Natural product biodiscovery
• Drug discovery for cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases
• Metabolomics and lipidomics analysis
• Chemical characterization of Australian native propolis and honey

Awards & Memberships:

• Member: American Society of Pharmacology (ASP), Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)
• UniSC Teaching Excellence Award (2022)
• Australian Endeavour Leadership Award (2019)
• SIEF STEM+ Business Fellowship (2017–2020)

Grants & Projects:

• Lead investigator for multiple grants totaling over $1.1M AUD, including studies on bioactive ginger compounds, bee propolis chemistry, and marine-derived anticancer agents.
• Key projects include the discovery of neuroprotective honey variants and antifungal compounds against Pyrrhoderma noxium.

Labs & Teams: Active in the Centre for Bioinnovation at UniSC, collaborating with researchers in chemistry, microbiology, and biomedical sciences.