Tran Research Lab on Symbiosis

Cawa Tran is an Assistant Professor of Biology at University of San Diego. Born to refugee parents and growing up in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego, she never took for granted the value of having an education, and seeks to always provide guidance and support to her students today. Dr. Tran holds an undergraduate degree in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, where she had her first research experience, inspiring her to teach and provide the same to students at USD today, especially first-generation college students like herself. She was previously trained at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory in Honolulu, doing research on marine invertebrate larval settlement and metamorphosis in response to bacteria, and received her Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2012. Dr. Tran pursued postdoctoral research at Stanford University School of Medicine, studying the molecular and cellular processes that mediate symbiosis between cnidarians (e.g., corals, sea anemones, jellyfish) and dinoflagellates (photosynthetic algae of the family Symbiodiniaceae). This symbiosis is critical for the maintenance of healthy coral reefs, and stress-induced breakdown of this symbiosis leads to coral bleaching worldwide. In an effort to save coral reefs, Dr. Tran and her students use the small sea anemone Aiptasia as a laboratory model to better understand the intricate interactions that occur among cnidarians, dinoflagellates, and bacteria. She is excited to land her dream job at USD and return to her hometown to work with the community here, as she continues to prioritize inclusive teaching, scholarship, and service while mentoring the next generation of biologists and leaders in creating a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world.