Ning Ding

Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Dr. Ning Ding is an attending physician at the Acupuncture Department of Guang’anmen Hospital. He obtained an MD in acupuncture from the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in 2019. His research focuses on elucidating and visualizing the therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture in neurodegenerative diseases. He has uncovered the microglia-mediated mechanisms that underlie acupuncture’s anti-neuroinflammatory effects in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), providing groundbreaking insights into the interactions between the gut and brain. His work demonstrates that acupuncture’s positive effects on gut microbiota and its protection of the integrity of the gut-brain barrier are crucial mechanisms in combating AD.Dr. Ding pioneered the visualization of acupoint effects using photoacoustic imaging, achieving 10-micrometer resolution for in vivo acupoint microcirculation mapping. Dr. Ding was awarded the Second Prize for Science and Technology Progress by the China Association of Chinese Medicine in 2022. He was also selected for the Youth Talent Support Programs of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology and the China Association of Chinese Medicine.