Tuan Trang

Dr. Tuan Trang is a Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, with full memberships in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute. His research focuses on chronic pain mechanisms and opioid pharmacology, employing multidisciplinary approaches to bridge basic science and clinical applications.

Dr. Trang earned his BSc (Honours) in Life Sciences and PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology from Queen's University, followed by a fellowship at SickKids Hospital. His educational background established the foundation for his current work in neuropharmacology and pain research.

His laboratory investigates fundamental molecular and cellular processes in chronic pain, with emphasis on opioid-nervous system interactions and safety optimization. Using behavioral, biochemical, molecular, and single-cell imaging techniques in animal models, his team explores how genetic, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms contribute to pain persistence and opioid complications. This work directly informs clinical pain management strategies for pediatric and adult patients.

Analysis of recent publications (2022-2025) reveals dominant themes in opioid withdrawal mechanisms, pannexin-1 channel modulation, sex-specific pain pathways, and novel therapeutic development. Key trends include translational studies moving from rodent models to human trials, sex-dimorphic mechanisms in pain and opioid responses, and innovative approaches targeting microglial signaling and neural circuitry.

• Research Excellence Award, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (2019)
• Young Investigator Award - International Narcotics Research Conference (2018)
• Peak Scholar, University of Calgary (2018)
• Young Investigator Award, Canadian Association for Neuroscience (2017)
• Piafsky Young Investigator, Canadian Society for Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2017)
• Award in Pain, Rita Allen Foundation & American Pain Society (2014)
• New Investigator Salary Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2014)

Dr. Trang mentors PhD and MSc students while leading the Spinal Cord, Nerve Injury, and Pain (SCNIP) NeuroTeam. His lab secures significant research funding through CIHR and industry partnerships, participating in strategic university initiatives including Brain and Mental Health, Child Health and Wellness, Infections/Inflammations, and One Health programs. As CEO of AphioTx, he drives commercialization of biotherapeutics targeting chronic pain.

The Trang Lab operates within the Health Sciences Centre (HSC2123), integrating wet-lab neuroscience with computational approaches for behavioral analysis. Current projects focus on pannexin-1 channel therapeutics, sex-specific pain mechanisms, cannabinoid-opioid interactions, and neural circuit mapping for pain modulation, positioning the team at the forefront of addressing the opioid crisis through novel biological targets.