Thanh Khanh Tran (Denise) Tran

PhD thesis

Investigating the effects of chronic whipworm infection on the intestinal stem cell niche. 

Whipworms are large multicellular parasites that live embedded within the host intestinal epithelium, causing chronic infections that can persist for years in humans. Within this intracellular niche, whipworms must acquire resources to support their growth while simultaneously immunomodulating the host environment and manipulating epithelial turnover dynamics to avoid expulsion. How whipworms alter intestinal stem cells and the surrounding stem cell niche to reshape tissue turnover and enable chronic infection remains poorly understood. My PhD project aims to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing changes in intestinal stem cells and stem cell niche during chronic whipworm infection.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

I developed an interest in stem cell biology while preparing for my undergraduate studies, captivated by the roles of these cells in tissue regeneration and their potential applications in regenerative medicine. Having the opportunity to undertake an internship and undergraduate research project at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute further strengthened my passion for stem cells and my ambition to leverage their biology to better understand tissue regeneration and disease.