Research Interests:

Pulmonary Physiology in health and disease

Role of airway smooth muscle and their interactions with the extracellular matrix in asthma

Role of extracellular matrix proteins in anti-apoptotic signalling

Role of tetraspanin family of proteins in asthma

Academic Background:

Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Manitoba, 2005

PhD - Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, 2001

BSc (Honours) Biochemistry & Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, 1997

Selected Publications:

Tran T, Blackie-Ens K, Rector E, Stelmack G, McNeill K, Tarone G, Gerthoffer WT, Unruh H and Halayko AJ. Laminin-Binding Integrin alpha 7 is Required for Contractile Phenotype Expression by Human Airway Myocytes. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 2007; In press.

Halayko AJ, Tran T and Gosens R. Phenotype and Functional Plasticity of Airway Smooth Muscle: Role of Caveolae and Caveolins. Proc. Am. Thorac. Soc. 2007; In press.

Tran T, McNeill K, Gerthoffer WT, Unruh H and Halayko AJ. Endogenous Laminin is Required for Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cell Maturation. Respir. Res. 2006; 7.117.
Tran T, Gosens R and Halayko AJ. Extracellular Matrix Proteins and Integrin Interactions on Airway Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype and Function: It takes Two to Tango! Curr. Rev. Respir. Med. 2007; In press.

Tran T and Halayko AJ. Extracellular Matrix and Airway Smooth Muscle Interactions: A Target for Modulating Airway Wall Remodelling and Hyperresponsiveness? Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 2007; In press.

Gosens R, Mutawe M, Martin S, Basu S, Tran T and Halayko AJ. Caveolae and caveolins in lung physiology. Curr. Respir. Med. Rev. 2007; In press.

Halayko AJ, Tran T and Gosens R. Airway Smooth Muscle Phenotypic and Functional Heterogeneity: Airway Smooth Muscle Biology and Pharmacology in Airways Disease. Edited by KF Chung (John Wiley and Sons Publishing) 2007; In press.

An S, Bates J, Brown R, Brusasco V, Chitano P, Deng LH, Eidelman D, Fabry B, Fredberg J, Gerthoffer WT, Gosens R, Gunst S, Halayko AJ, Irvin, James A, Janssen L, King G, Lauzon A-M, Ludwig M, Lutchen K, Maksym G, Martin J, Mijailovich S, Mitchell H, Mitchell R, Mitzner W, Murphy T, Pare P, Pellegrino R, Seow C, Smith P, Solway J, Stephens N, Sterk P, Stewart A, Tang D, Tepper R, Tran T ** & Wang L. Airway smooth muscle dynamics: a common pathway of airway obstruction in asthma. Eur Resp J; 2007; 29 (5): 834-860. **note: author names in alphabetical order**

Halayko AJ, Tran T, Ji SY, Yamasaki A and Gosens R. Airway Smooth Muscle Phenotype and Function: Interactions with Current Asthma Therapies. Curr. Drug Targets 2006; 7:525-540.

Tran T, Fernandes DJ, Schuliga M, Harris T, Landells L and Stewart AG. Stimulus-Dependent Glucocorticoid-Resistance of GM-CSF Production in Human Cultured Airway Smooth Muscle. Br. J. Pharmacol. 2005; 145:123-131.

Fernandes DJ, Ravenhall CE, Harris T, Tran T, Vlahos R and Stewart AG. Contribution of the p38MAPK Signaling Pathway to Proliferation in Human Cultured Airway Smooth Muscle Cells is Mitogen-Specific. Br. J. Pharmacol. 2004; 142:1182-1190.

Tran T and Stewart AG. Protease-Activated Receptor (PAR)-Independent Growth and Pro-Inflammatory Actions of Thrombin on Human Cultured Airway Smooth Muscle. Br. J. Pharmacol. 2003; 138:865-875.