Dr. Tong's primary research focus revolves around the application of bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), molecular modeling, and data analytics for various purposes including biomarker discovery, drug safety and repurposing, pharmacogenomics/toxicogenomics, and precision medicine. At present, he oversees several FDA mission-critical projects within his division, including:
Developing AI for the Toxicology Program (AI4TOX), which encompasses four initiatives (AnimalGAN, SafetAI, BERTox, and PathologAI). This program leverages advanced AI and machine learning techniques to advance toxicological research and drug safety.
Developing the Liver Toxicity Knowledge Base to address concerns regarding drug safety—particularly related to drug-induced liver injury (DILI).
Designing and developing computer-based technologies to support FDA's efforts in bioinformatics and scientific computing.
Supervising and leading the FDA-led community-wide MicroArray Quality Control and SEquencing Quality Control (MAQC/SEQC) consortium, which aims to analyze the technical performance and practical utility of emerging genomics technologies with a specific emphasis on regulatory application and precision medicine.