Dr Cuong Tran

Prior to completing my PhD, I have been working for an Industry Company, Numico Research Australia Pty Ltd looking at novel therapies for eradicating Helicobacter pylori for 2 year. Completed by PhD at the University of Adelaide investigating “Intestinal zinc and metallothionein: role in chemotherapy-induced mucositis”. I then worked in the Gastroenterology Unit at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital continuing investigations on Helicobacter pylori eradication using a mouse model of Helicobacter pylori infection as well as focusing on zinc, gut health and intestinal permeability. I was then awarded the Inaugural American-Australian Association Fellowship which allowed me to carry out my post-doctoral training in Denver, Colorado and to expand my zinc research with the application zinc stable isotopes to assess zinc homeostasis in humans. I returned to Australia working at the Children, Youth & Women’s Health Service under the Industry Fellowship awarded by NHMRC in 2004 in collaboration with Numico Research Australia Pty Ltd. The Fellowship involves looking at zinc alone and in combination with other novel agents in the treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection. After completing my Industry Fellowship, I focused on establishing a “Micronutrient Therapy Laboratory” for paediatric with gut diseases and conditions. In 2009 I obtained an MS McLeod Fellowship to expand my zinc research in children living in developing countries who have a high incidence of zinc deficiency, diarrhoea and environmental enteropathy. In late 2012, I was employed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to set up a gut barrier function assessment capability to monitor health and diet in the area of metabolic disease. Currently, I am a Team Leader for the Nutritional Interventions Team of the Nutrition and Health Substantiation Group in the Human Health Program. I have published over 50 peer-reviewed research papers ranging from topics such gut microbiome and health, zinc nutrition as a potential therapy for inflamed conditions of the gut, non-invasive testing for gut health and “leaky gut”. I am an author of 2 best-selling CSIRO gut health books which has sold over 100,000 copies. I currently lead a team of multidisciplinary team of research scientists focusing on developing new technologies and novel products in modulating the gut microbiome specifically with gut and brain health benefits.