fan dong

fan dong

always learning, always growing.

Fan Dong, Ph.D.

About Me

Dr. Dong’s research is at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Health Informatics, with a strong focus on leveraging advanced computational techniques to address pressing health-related challenges. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 2021. Currently, he serves as a Research Assistant at Peng Cheng Laboratory. Prior to this role, Dr. Dong contributed to the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), first as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellow, and later as an FDA employee.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Management Information Systems (Minor in Statistics)

    Eller College of Management, University of Arizona (2021)

  • M.S. in Computer Science

    Georgia State University (2015)

Research Interests

Dr. Dong’s research focuses on developing advanced computational methods and applying them to critical real-world challenges. His work involves Natural Language Processing (NLP), Large Language Models (LLMs), including BERT models, Spatial-Temporal Data Mining, and Graph Neural Network Analysis. He applies these methods to diverse areas such as Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Predictive Modeling, Smart City initiatives, and AI in Healthcare.

Work Experience

  • Research Assistant Peng Cheng Laboratory (PCL) | April 2025 – Present
  • Visiting Scientist National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), FDA | February 2023 – Present
  • Postdoctoral Fellow (ORISE) NCTR, FDA | September 2021 – January 2023

Select Publications

  • Dong F, Guo W, Liu J, Patterson TA, Hong H. Pharmacovigilance in the digital age: gaining insight from social media data. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2025 May 27;250:10555. PubMed
  • Varghese A, Liu J, Liu B, Guo W, Dong F, Patterson TA, Hong H. Analysis of Structures of SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease Bound with Ligands Unveils Structural Features for Inhibiting the Enzyme. Molecules. 2025; 30(3):491. PubMed
  • Dong F, Hardy B, Liu J, Mohoric T, Guo W, Exner T, Tong W, Dohler J, Bachler D, Hong H. Development of a comprehensive open access “molecules with androgenic activity resource (MAAR)” to facilitate risk assessment of chemicals. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2024 Sep 19;249:10279. PubMed
  • Li Z, Huang R, Xia M, Chang N, Guo W, Liu J, Dong F, Liu B, Varghese A, Aslam A, Patterson TA. Decoding the κ Opioid Receptor (KOR): Advancements in Structural Understanding and Implications for Opioid Analgesic Development. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2024 Jun 3;29(11):2635. PubMed
  • Dong F, Guo W, Liu J, Patterson TA, Hong H. BERT-based language model for accurate drug adverse event extraction from social media: implementation, evaluation, and contributions to pharmacovigilance practices. Frontiers in Public Health. 2024 Apr 23;12:1392180. PubMed

Contact

Email: dongf@pcl.ac.cn