TRAN NGUYEN LAB
INTEGRATED BIOSENSING AND DISEASE MODELING
Engineering biosensing-enabled platforms for precision health.
We develop and translate integrated biosensing and microfluidic technologies to enable real-time, functional interrogation of human tissues. By working with multidisciplinary teams spanning engineering, biology, and medicine, our goal is to create accessible tools for early detection, dynamic disease modeling, and longitudinal monitoring of therapeutic response. Through these efforts, we aim to address critical challenges in cancer and women’s health and to support more personalized and effective clinical care.
Electrochemical aptamer-based sensors enable label-free detection of molecular targets by transducing binding-induced conformational changes into electrical signals. We develop multiplexed biosensing platforms for continuous monitoring of proteins, nucleic acids, hormones, and metabolites in complex biofluids. By deploying these sensors in microfluidic and wearable formats, including microneedle-based systems, our work supports longitudinal monitoring of disease and therapeutic response beyond conventional snapshot measurements.
Tumor behavior and drug response are strongly influenced by vascular transport, biochemical gradients, and tissue microarchitecture. We engineer microfluidic tumor-on-chip systems that preserve native tissue structure and microvasculature while enabling controlled perfusion and stimulation. These platforms allow functional interrogation of patient-derived tumors under physiologically relevant conditions, providing insight into disease progression and therapeutic response not captured by static models.
Many diseases are driven by dynamic molecular signaling within complex tissue environments that are difficult to study using conventional models. We develop biosensing-integrated microfluidic tissue platforms that enable real-time measurement of molecular and functional responses during controlled perturbations. These systems provide a generalizable framework for studying disease dynamics and treatment effects across a range of biological contexts.
Contact Us
Department of Biomedical Engineering
UT Southwestern Medical Center
2336 Inwood Road
Dallas, Texas 75235 | Email
The laboratory and department are located on the East Campus of UT Southwestern in the Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (EA) building.