Kaylon Bruner Tran -Scientist by Day, Novelist by Night

There are only a very small handful of writers of epic novels who are capable of introducing a long list of characters and, over an equally long number of chapters, weaving them into a seamless whole. Dr. Kaylon Bruner-Tran is among them when it comes to weaving the multiple branches of her own life into a single, multi-faceted tree.

A Nolensville resident, Kaylon grew up in Grenada, Mississippi. Writing was always a favorite pastime for her, but when it came to education, she leaned strongly into the sciences. The end result was a PhD in reproductive pathology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Kaylon’s lab is now located at Vanderbilt, and she is best known for her medical research studies in the environmental toxicant exposure effects in the development of endometriosis.

Kaylon is passionate about her work, and she is especially drawn to the effects of dioxin, the chemical contaminant in Agent Orange, that seems to lead to reproductive dysfunction across generations. 

Throughout her career, Kaylon has felt a strong desire to connect the lay public with the research community. She has frequently spoken at high schools to share information regarding careers in science as well as with advocacy groups in support of Vietnam Veterans and women with endometriosis.

“I’m called upon to write and publish frequent papers about my work including peer-reviewed papers and book chapters for medical and scientific audiences,” she said. “But I’d never considered a novel.

“That changed when I took an AncestryDNA test. I had two sons with my Vietnamese husband, and I wanted to find out more about their genetic history. I discovered a relative I never knew about, and learned he was searching for his biological mother. That became Time Intertwined, my first novel. I thought it would be my first and last, but it turned into a trilogy, with Lives Intertwined and Darkness and Light Intertwined following.”

The trilogy’s framework is Vietnam, with emphasis on the war and the release of Agent Orange. All three of her books are award winners, and the Agent Orange series won the 2023 International Impact Book Award. She is currently working on her next.

“I elected to self-publish because I wanted to retain complete control over the books,” Kaylon said. “I spoke with many Vietnam veterans, and I wanted the books to be accurate for them. I also wanted them to be accurate for the readers, for them to develop a true understanding of some of the things that went on over there with their lasting medical effects.”

Kaylon’s books are available at amazon.com