News
2024
April
- I was awarded an Investigator Award from the Rally Foundation.
- I presented, Detection of Intratumoral Heterogeneity of Sarcoma by ATAC-Seq, at the Spring CTOS Webinar.
February
- We were awarded funding for our CPRIT proposal to study DSRCT.
2023
November
- I presented two posters at CTOS this year, Multi-Omic Analysis of Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors Reveal Distinct Lineages and Understanding the Molecular Drivers That Regulate Ewing Sarcoma Cell Fate.
- I was awarded the best poster for the catergory of Sarcoma of the Year: Small Round Blue Cell Tumor.
July
- I was awarded a research grant from the Sarcoma Foundation of America.
June
- I was announced as the SARC Career Development Award winner.
May
- I was awarded the Daniel Benedict Gazan Fellowship in Sarcoma Research.
- Our work, Dissociation protocols used for sarcoma tissues bias the transcriptome observed in single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing, is now available online.
- I was awarded the SARC Career Development Award to continue my studies on DSRCT.
April
- I presented our work, The Epigenetic Impact and Therapeutic Opportunity of AR-Directed Therapy for DSRCT, at the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting
- I presented our work, Defining Differentiation States in Well-Differentiated and De-Differentiated Liposarcoma, at the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting
- We were awarded funding for our CDMRP proposal from the DOD to study DSRCT.
- Our work in DSRCT was highlighted in MD Anderson Research Highlights.
March
- I presented our work, The Epigenetic Impact and Therapeutic Opportunity of AR-Directed Therapy for DSRCT, at the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Prostate Cancer Research
- I presented our works, The Epigenetic Impact and Therapeutic Opportunity of AR-Directed Therapy for DSRCT and Understanding Ewing Sarcoma Cell Fate, at Trainee Research Day at MD Anderson.
- I went to AACR Early-career Hill Day in Washington D.C. to advocate for funding for cancer research and biomedical science through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
February
- I presented our work, Understanding Ewing Sarcoma Cell Fate, at the Experimental Therapuetics Postdoctoral Seminar.
- I was awarded the Scholar-in-Training Award to travel to the AACR Annual Meeting 2023.
2022
November
- I presented our work, The Epigenetic Impact and Therapeutic Opportunity of AR-Directed Therapy for DSRCT, at Connective Tissue Oncology Society Meeting 2022.
- I presented our work, Defining Differentiation States in Well-Differentiated and De-Differentiated Liposarcoma, at Connective Tissue Oncology Society Meeting 2022.
- We received funding for a St. Baldrick’s Foundation Research Grant award to MD Anderson Cancer Center to support our research project, “Ewing sarcoma gene dependencies that regalute cell fate / differentiation.”
October
- I am presenting our work, Unraveling the Biology of Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor, at the Leading Edge of Cancer Research Symposium 2022.
August
- I was invited onto the SHORT Talks podcast! The topic of the episode was “SHORT Talk About PhD Application Mistakes.”
July
- I presented our work, The Androgen Receptor is a Therapeutic Target in Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor, for the Experiemental Therapeutics Postdoc Seminar.
- I helped teach summer students how to design an abstract poster for research.
- I was a judge for Graduate Student Research Day and I helped pick the best poster.
- I was elected the Team Leader of Events and Outreach for the Postdoctoral Association Executive Committee.
June
- I participated in the MD Anderson HotStart program to teach cell biology and basic laboratory techniques to high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds, particularly in the Houston area.
- Our work, The androgen receptor is a therapeutic target in desmoplastic small round cell sarcoma, is now available online.
April
- Started the 2022 “Bioinformatics Café” to build the skills needed to succeed in bioinformatics for postdoctoral fellows at MD Anderson.
- Our work, Multi-site desmoplastic small round cell tumors are genetically related and immune-cold, is now available online.
March
- I presented my poster, Deciphering the Drivers of Dedifferentiation in Well-differentiated and De-differentiated Liposarcoma, at Trainee Research Day 2022.
- Our work, Correlation of nuclear pIGF-1R/IGF-1R and YAP/TAZ in a tissue microarray with outcomes in osteosarcoma patients, is now available online.
February
- Our review, Targeting the IGF/PI3K/mTOR Pathway and AXL/YAP1/TAZ pathways in Primary Bone Cancer, is now available online.
- I am now listed as an Early-Career Reviewer for eLife.
- I joined the junior editorial board of Cancer Drug Resistance.
January
- Our preprint, The Androgen Receptor: A Therapeutic Target in Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Sarcoma, is now available online.
- Our preprint, Dissociation protocols used for sarcoma tissues bias the transcriptome observed in single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing, is now available online.
- Our commentary, Understanding sarcoma drug resistance one cell at a time, is now available online.
2021
October
- Participated in a Project SHORT workshop to help guide students applying for a PhD program
June
- Held a workshop to teach highschool and undergraduate students how to “Craft an effective abstract.”
- Our work, EMT-related transcription factors and YAP/TAZ orchestrate cell fate and metastasis in osteosarcoma, was presented at the 41st Euro Congress on Cancer Science & Therapy (Cancer Science 2021)
May
- Concluded the 3-day 10th Annual Postdoc Career Symposium with over 400 attendees and initiated plans to build a platform for postdocs in the Texas Medical Center to network
- Awarded the Daniel Benedict Gazan Award in Sarcoma Research
- Launched the 10th Annual Postdoc Career Symposium
- Presented DNA Day to high school and middle school students at HISD to learn about DNA and biomedical careers
April
- Received a generious donation for our Liposarcoma research
- Launched registration for the 10th Annual Postdoc Career Symposium
- Invited as a panelist for a Town Hall to discuss Racism in science with a special focus on Asian trainees and Asian Americans
- Our work was invited to present at the 41st Euro Congress on Cancer Science & Therapy (Cancer Science 2021).
2020
August
- Presented an online oral presentation, “The Mesenchymal Tissue Landscape: A scRNA-seq based Metric of Liposarcoma Differentiation,” Columbia Trainee Symposium for Organoids & Organs-on-a-Chip #OOoC2020
- Highlighted in NAVS Alumni Spotlight NAVS Alumni Spotlight: IFER Fellowship Recipient Danh Truong
January
- Highlighted research and achievements in ASU School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering 2019 Annual Report
2019
November
- Presented a poster, “Elucidating how the tumor microenvironment dysregulates Ewing’s sarcoma cell stemness using a scRNA-seq-based differentiation signature,” at FusOncC2 in Washington, D.C.
- Presented research updates to the Moeller Foundation
April
- Research highlighted in Full Circle article titled, “ASU RESEARCHERS CHIP AWAY THE MYSTERIES OF CANCER METASTASIS”
January
- Moved to Houston, Texas
- Joined the Ludwig Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow
- Featured in ARCS 2018 Annual Report
2018
December
- Graduate Student Speaker at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Convocation
- Featured in Full Circle
- Graduated from ASU with PhD in Biomedical Engineering with thesis titled Microfluidic Models of Tumor-Stroma Interactions to Study the Interplay of Cancer Cells with their Surrounding Microenvironment.
November
- Featured as one of the 2018-2019 ARCS scholars in The Graduate Insider
October
- Presented an oral presentation, “Gene-expression Profiling of Patient-Derived Fibroblast and Breast Cancer Interactions in a Three-Dimensional (3D) Organotypic Microfluidic Platform,” at BMES in Atlanta,GA
June
- Patent application US10017724B2 granted.
May
- Research highlighted in NAVS article titled, “FDA identifies areas of need for non-animal alternatives”
- “Breast Cancer Cell Invasion into a Three Dimensional Tumor-Stroma Microenvironment” selected for Editor’s choice: tumour microenvironment collection.
April
- Awarded the Graduate College Completion Fellowship
- Research highlighted in NAVS article titled, “SMARTER SCIENCE SAVES LIVES: Meet the Next Generation of IFER-funded Humane Researchers”
March
- Awarded the GPSA Research Grant
- Research highlighted in NAVS article titled, “Funding Research to Fight Cancer”
Feburary
- Awarded as an ARCS Burton Scholar by the Phoenix Chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation
- “Microfluidic Tumor–Vascular Model to Study Breast Cancer Cell Invasion and Intravasation” highlighted in Advanced Science News article titled, “Cancer Metastasis Put Under the Microscope”
January
- Awarded the Graduate College Fellowship
- Highlighted in ASU School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering 2017 Annual Report
2017
November
- Patent Application US20180052151A1 filed under Nikkhah, M., & Truong, D. (2018). U.S. Patent Application No. 15/730,335.
October
- Awarded the International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) Graduate Fellowship
- Presented an oral presentation, “The Influence Of Patient-Derived Fibroblasts On Breast Cancer Invasion Profile Within A Microfluidic Platform,” at BMES in Phoenix, AZ
September
- Research highlighted in NAVS article titled, “Investing in Smarter Science Will Pay Dividends…for Animals AND Humans”
March
- Awarded Outstanding SBHSE Graduate Research Assistant
- Research highlighted in NAVS article titled, “Thinking Outside of the Box to Fight Cancer”
- Research highlighted in SBHSE article titled, “SBHSE student Danh Truong wins competitive IFER fellowship”
February
- Awarded as an ARCS Burton Scholar by the Phoenix Chapter of ARCS Foundation
January
- Highlighted in ASU School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering 2016 Annual Report
2016
December
- Research highlighted in Inner Circle article titled, “Danh Truong wins competitive IFER fellowship”
October
- Awarded IFER Graduate Fellowship for proposal, “Studying the biochemical and biophysical influences of fibroblasts on cancer invasion in a tumor-stroma on a chip.” Read more here
- Presented an oral presentation, “Microengineered Tumor- Stroma Platform Investigating the Biochemical Influence of Stromal Fibroblasts on Breast Cancer Invasion,” at BMES in Minneapolis, MN
- Research highlighted in NAVS article titled, “Meet the Humane Science ‘Class of 2017’”
May
- Awarded GPSA Jumpstart Research Grant for proposal, “Heterotypic Signaling Influencing Breast Cancer Invasion within 3D Tumor Stroma Platform.”
April
- Presented a poster, “Microengineered Breast Cancer Invasion Platform,” at Molecular, Cellular, & Tissue Bioengineering (MCTB) Symposium in Tempe, AZ
- Awarded Poster Presentation Award at MCTB, read more here
February
- Presented an oral presentation, “Three-dimensional (3D) Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells in a Well-Defined Tumor-Stroma Platform,” at NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology Conference (ASME NEMB) in Houston, TX
January
- Received GPSA Travel Award Grant to travel to Houston, TX for ASME NEMB
2015
October
- Received SBHSE Block Funding to travel to Tampa, FL for BMES
- Presented a poster, “Microengineered Breast Cancer Invasion Platform,” at BMES
- Patent application US10017724B2 filed under Nikkhah, M., Kamm, R. D., & Truong, D. (2018). U.S. Patent No. 10,017,724. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
2014
August
- Moved to Tempe, Arizona
- Joined the Nikkhah lab as a Dean’s Fellow
May
- Graduated from UTA with MS in Biomedical Engineering and BS in Biology