Lok Ming (Tom) Tam, Ph.D.
Lok Ming (Tom) Tam, Ph.D., is a molecular toxicologist who specializes in mechanisms of metal toxicity. Tam is currently a postdoctoral associate dissecting the mechanisms underlying methylmercury toxicity in a Drosophila model under the mentorship of Matthew Rand, Ph.D., in the Department of Environmental Medicine. Originally from Hong Kong, Tam fell in love with environmental toxicology when he took ETOX courses as an exchange student at UC Davis in 2012. Since then, he has been fascinated by the multidisciplinary nature and practicability of toxicological science. His curiosity in understanding the environmental etiology of chronic diseases led to his doctoral degree in Environmental Toxicology from the UC Riverside in 2019. From there, his doctoral research focused on delineating the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of arsenic, often known as “King of Poisons,” with an in vitro human cell model. In particular, he studied how arsenic disrupts C3H/C4-type zinc finger motifs and functions of proteins involved in DNA repair and protein quality control. Prior to joining the RPP program, Tam studied the mechanisms of longevity in long-lived mammals in the Department of Biology at the University of Rochester.
Since the summer of 2020, Tam has served on the executive board of the University of Rochester Postdoctoral Association, which has made significant achievements in advancing postdoc welfare and optimizing postdoc experience at Rochester. These efforts include streamlining the postdoc onboarding procedure and raising the awareness of the value of diversity, inclusion, and equity among future academic scholars.
Education
University of California Riverside
Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology
2019
Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
B.S. Cell and Molecular Biology
2014
Research
Tam is currently resolving the molecular mechanisms underlying the latent methylmercury toxicity in Drosophila fruit fly model. Specifically, he is interested in delineating how early life exposure to methylmercury leads to adverse health outcomes later in life.
Selected Publications
Tam, L.M., Chiang, W., and Huynh, K.T. (2021). Policy Memo: Establishing global climate resilience to persistent organic pollutants through the private sector: a call to reform institutional standards of the International Finance Corporation. Journal of Science Policy & Governance. 18(2): https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG180210.
Tam, L.M., and Wang, Y. (2020). Review Article: Arsenic Exposure and Compromised Protein Quality Control. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 33:1594-1604.
Tam, L.M., Jiang, J., Wang, P., and Wang, Y. (2020). Arsenite Binds to ZNF598 to Perturb Ribosome-Associated Protein Quality Control. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 33:1644-1652.
Tam, L.M., Price, N.E., and Wang, Y. (2020). Review Article: Molecular Mechanisms of Arsenic-Induced Disruption of DNA Repair. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 33:709-726.
Tam, L.M., Huang, M., and Wang, Y. (2019). Targeted Quantitative Proteomics Revealed Arsenite-induced Proteasomal degradation of RhoB in Fibroblast cells. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 32: 1343-1350.
Jiang, J., Tam, L.M., Wang, P., and Wang, Y. (2018). Arsenite Targets the RING Finger Domain of Rbx1 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase to Inhibit Proteasome-Mediated Degradation of Nrf2. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 31:380-387.
Tam, L.M., Jiang, J., Wang, P., Li, L., Miao, W., Dong, X., and Wang, Y. (2017). Arsenite Binds to the Zinc Finger Motif of TIP60 Histone Acetyltransferase and Induces Its Degradation via the 26S Proteasome. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 30:1685-1693.