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Cawa Tran, PhD

@cawatran

Associate Professor of Biology & Director for Undergraduate Research at University of San Diego. Researches host-microbe interactions in the sea anemone Aiptasia. πŸͺΈπŸ¦ πŸ”¬πŸ§«πŸ§¬ usdtranlab.wixsite.com/symbiosis

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15.10.2023
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Latest posts by Cawa Tran, PhD @cawatran

Lol. Borrow it for as long as you'd like! πŸ˜„

28.11.2025 07:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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If you're at #asmicrobe come check out our poster AES-799 on dinoflagellate-bacterial interactions, presented by Gavin McLaren from USD, coauthored by Morgan Farrell and Nick Shikuma from SDSU.

21.06.2025 16:57 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Curious about what role photosynthesis has in dinoflagellate-bacterial interactions? Check out our latest paper, first-authored by undergraduate (at the time) Gavin McLaren and a collaboration with Dr. Nick Shikuma & Morgan Farrell at SDSU: academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...

20.05.2025 19:54 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Postdoctoral Research Associate – Theoretical Ecological and Evolutionary Modeling Position Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate - Theoretical Ecological and Evolutionary Modeling. Department: Biology. Classification: Exempt. FTE: 1.0. Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work sche...

Are you interested in marine larval dispersal? Come join us and investigate the plasticity of larval dispersal traits in response to variation in parental environments!
Position based at St. Olaf's in Minnesota (low COL!).
Please share widely!
shorturl.at/NYYXN

29.03.2025 10:24 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

YES!!!!!! πŸ’―πŸ™Œ I'm so grateful to have you nearby as well!🫢

29.03.2025 15:59 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

So grateful to have @bielleogy.bsky.social captivate my Microbiology class at USD! They learned so much from this incredible professor and researcher. So thrilled our proximity to each other in SD enables this kind of connection to build! Everyone should invite Dr. Elinne Becket to give a talk!!!!!

28.03.2025 03:16 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Ever wonder what it's like to be faculty at a primarily undergraduate institution like the University of San Diego? Check out my "Day in the Life" reel at www.instagram.com/reel/DGujBnm...

Follow @cawatran on Instagram for more!

03.03.2025 16:15 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

American science and medicine has been thrown into chaos and uncertainty over the past week. Here are some stories to get up to speed. 1/12

28.01.2025 03:58 πŸ‘ 1823 πŸ” 1137 πŸ’¬ 57 πŸ“Œ 189
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How to Get an Academic Job Here’s everything you need to know about finding a tenure-track position.

www.chronicle.com/package/furl...

02.12.2024 06:08 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
The Alker lab at the University of Rhode Island is hiring (students, postdocs and lab staff)! We use cutting edge tools in microbiology to investigate marine animal symbioses. Email or DM for further inquiries

The Alker lab at the University of Rhode Island is hiring (students, postdocs and lab staff)! We use cutting edge tools in microbiology to investigate marine animal symbioses. Email or DM for further inquiries

🚨 The Alker Lab is starting at the University of Rhode Island in early 2025 and we will be hiring! 🚨

If you are interested in marine microbiology, bacterial genetics and/or symbiosis, please consider reaching out! Repost to help spread the word πŸͺΈπŸ§ͺ🧬🌊

30.11.2024 00:13 πŸ‘ 94 πŸ” 51 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 2

Anyone partition their use of different platforms and have found a way that's effective? I probably only have the bandwidth to dedicate my attention to mostly one (currently Instagram b/c my institution & undergrads use it a lot), unless I see an efficient way to manage more for good reason. 😁

17.11.2024 00:41 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

There's still time to get an abstract in by May 20th! There will be student awards for both talks AND posters! Plus, this will be the only conference my lab is presenting at this summer, and we have some big research news to unveil! πŸͺΈπŸ¦ πŸ”¬

08.05.2024 03:56 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
2024 annual meeting

Calling all San Diego, SoCal, & Pacific-regional colleagues & your students: Please consider attending/presenting at the AAAS Pacific Division, June 17-20, held at @uofsandiego! This is a friendly, inexpensive conference for students to share their work: www.aaaspd.org/2024-annual-... Please repost!

06.05.2024 21:54 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences: Vol 379, No 1901 Can't sign in? Forgot your password?

This is in a special themed issue on β€˜Sculpting the microbiome: how host factors determine and respond to microbial colonization’ compile and edited by Mark A. Hanson, Hannah E. Westlake and Catherine S. Schrankel

doi.org/10.1098/rstb...

Thank you for inviting me to contribute!

25.03.2024 16:11 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Photosynthesis and other factors affecting the establishment and maintenance of cnidarian–dinoflagellate symbiosis | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Coral growth depends on the partnership between the animal hosts and their intracellular, photosynthetic dinoflagellate symbionts. In this study, we used the sea anemone Aiptasia, a laboratory model for coral biology, to investigate the poorly understood ...

But photosynthesis may not be the only factor...so what else is involved? Check it out here! Confocal images and videos galore! πŸͺΈπŸ”¬

doi.org/10.1098/rstb...

Special thanks to Dr. Cat Schrankel (guest editor) and two anonymous reviewers for their time and effort to improve this manuscript.

25.03.2024 16:07 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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New paper alert! Does photosynthesis actually have a role in symbiosis establishment between sea anemones and their intracellular algae? A previous study suggested not, but we found otherwise, especially when looking at anemones long-term and what's going on with their larvae!

25.03.2024 16:03 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Where, oh where, did I go wrong when an answer to a final exam question for an Invertebrate Zoology class says: "...and they have a backbone, that helps."πŸ˜­πŸ€¦πŸ»β€β™€οΈ

19.12.2023 22:28 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Eight students standing with rolled-up scientific posters, one lying down on side.

Eight students standing with rolled-up scientific posters, one lying down on side.

When you want to brag about your students giving poster presentations without leaking unpublished data...Haha! 😜 #undergraduateresearch #biology #aiptasia #symbiosis #research

10.12.2023 06:40 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I don't think they are. All my undergrads use Instagram, so I've started a public/professional account there and it's received way more attention/interactions than any other social media platforms I'm on!

09.12.2023 17:30 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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β€ŽAt the Edge of it All: A Life of Symbiosis: How a Biologist Found a Passion for the Oceans and th... β€ŽShow At the Edge of it All, Ep A Life of Symbiosis: How a Biologist Found a Passion for the Oceans and their Voice in the Classroom - Dec 6, 2023

So fun to chat with our awesome USD Media Relations team about my academic journey, passion in teaching, and mentoring undergraduates in doing research, plus how symbiosis is a metaphor for the way my life has unfolded! Thrilled I have the best job in the world! πŸ‘©β€πŸ«

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

07.12.2023 04:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A female student looking up at projecyted screen with a beautiful unique organism as she explains its physical characteristics.

A female student looking up at projecyted screen with a beautiful unique organism as she explains its physical characteristics.

USD Biology major Milly John designed this organism pictured called Avalora, which has a symbiosis with the Na'vi, who help disperse its buds and, in turn, it protects the Na'vi from danger, like the humans who invade Pandora. James Cameron, material for your third Avatar movie?!😜

29.11.2023 07:39 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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In my Invertebrate Zoology class, students have a final project to design an invertebrate alien inspired by real invertebrate phyla discussed in class. This semester's theme is Pandora (from Avatar), and the first student presenters set the bar high today with their creative and imaginative ideas!

29.11.2023 07:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

If you know of any graduating seniors who are planning to apply to UC Merced for grad school this cycle, I have three application fee waivers that I'm happy to pass along! HMU!

28.11.2023 15:55 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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We're hiring!

The University of South Florida, Tampa is searching for a Marine/Coastal Biologist (assistant professor / tenure track). Come join a great department!

Details: bit.ly/usf_marine_bio_search

07.11.2023 17:16 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Details - Diversity Postdoctoral Faculty

Teaching postdoc positions available in (1) Art, Architecture, and Art History, (2) Chemistry & Biochemistry, (3) Music, (4) Psychological Sciences, (5) Theology & Religious Studies, (6) Theatre at the University of San Diego. Due 2/1/24. Please RT!

jobs.sandiego.edu/cw/en-us/job...

23.10.2023 15:42 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

University of San Francisco Dept. of Biology is searching for mid-career to senior scientists to apply to their Endowed Chair position; see below. Please share!

usfca.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/USF_Fu...

20.10.2023 21:44 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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I'm looking to hire a postdoc in coral genomics - $66k/yr plus benefits - follow link for more info - review of apps begins Nov 10 usccareers.usc.edu/job/los-ange...

17.10.2023 03:36 πŸ‘ 53 πŸ” 53 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 5

I get to do my dream job everyday mentoring the next generations & never take it for granted. Follow for research & teaching updates! πŸͺΈπŸ”¬πŸ¦ 

15.10.2023 06:10 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0