Staff Scientist
NCATS/NIH
Dr. Tong is a Staff Scientist in Tox21 Program, NCATS/NIH. He investigates human neurotoxicity in the Genomic Toxicology Group led by Dr. David Gerhold. After receiving medical education/training and graduate study in China, he completed postgraduate research trainings in Japan Nagoya University Medical School for molecular biology and genetics, and in US National Institutes of Health (NICHD and NIDDK) for reproductive medicine and developmental biology. At NCATS, He has been practicing human toxicology and translational sciences. He has characterized cellular models and identified genomic biomarkers for human neurotoxicity. He published several studies including (1) characterization and choice of human neuronal cell models; (2) the neuronal toxmatrix model for studying toxic mechanisms; (3) identifying MT1G biomarker for neurotoxicity; and (4 a dopaminergic neuronal model for ferroptosis.Currently, he is developing a cell-based luciferase assay for neurotoxicity using the altered LUHMES cells and studying MT1G for its neuronal function and toxicological role.