Dr. Ding is the Gurewitsch and Vidda Foundation Associate Professor of Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University Medical Center. His laboratory studies mechanisms, particularly cell extrinsic mechanisms, that regulate blood forming stem cells, and how dysregulation of these mechanisms contributes to blood cancers. Dr. Ding’s research has resulted in better characterization of the bone marrow niche in normal and blood cancer disease conditions and may lead to novel therapies.