Biography
Rintaro Kato is a postbaccalaureate fellow in the in vitro Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Core within NCATS’ Division of Preclinical Innovation, where he works closely with Pranav A. Shah, Ph.D. Kato leads the Tier I assay experiments and analysis efforts, focusing on absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) assays, which include kinetic aqueous solubility, parallel artificial membrane permeability and single-point metabolic stability in rat liver microsomes. Data from these assays offer essential information regarding basic ADME properties that help project teams optimize and prioritize their compounds to move them onto more advanced Tier II assays.
Kato earned his Bachelor of Science in forensic science with triple concentrations in toxicology, molecular biology and criminalistics from The City University of New York John Jay College of Criminal Justice. While an undergraduate, Kato gained experience as a Program for Research Initiatives in Science and Math (PRISM) research assistant in an anthropology laboratory, where his research — supervised by Angelique Corthals, Ph.D. — consisted of comparing nasal anatomy and goblet cell distribution in bats to reveal possible adaptations to viruses as part of a collaborative project between John Jay College, Stony Brook University and Yale University. Kato also worked in a forensic entomology laboratory at John Jay College, where — under the supervision of Jennifer Rosati, Ph.D. — he observed the effect of cadaver/decedent refrigeration on morphology and development of larvae and adult blow flies with the goal of optimizing the accuracy of postmortem interval times.
Research Topics
Kato’s goal is to become a pathologist actively assisting bench-to-bedside populations. He hopes to create a vast professional network and an even stronger bridge between pathology, clinical chemistry and forensic science by improving his scientific communication, leadership and collaborative research skills. After completing his fellowship, Kato plans to apply to professional or graduate schools to pursue his goal. Although his work until now has been based in comparative biology and forensic science, he hopes to expand his skill set to include both preclinical and clinical innovations.