Prof. Ding is an internationally recognized clinical researcher whose work has fundamentally advanced the evidence base for osteoarthritis (OA) risk factors, underlying mechanisms, therapeutics and imaging science. He has developed the measurements of knee cartilage defects, subchondral bone density, infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) signal intensity, local effusion-synovitis, IPFP radiomics, joint space radiomics, and muscle radiomics, etc; determined the roles of metabolic inflammation, vitamin D and IPFP in symptoms and disease progression of OA; and created many new interpretation such as IPFP size was protective but IPFP signal intensity was detrimental to knee OA. As a global leader in MRI biomarkers, he has shaped structural phenotyping and mechanistic understanding of OA.

He has led one of the world’s most comprehensive OA randomized trial programs, spanning systemic, nutritional, targeted injection, complementary, regenerative, and surgical interventions. His multicenter VIDEO trial in JAMA provided definitive evidence that vitamin D supplementation does not reduce cartilage loss or WOMAC knee pain, resolving long-standing observational controversies. He then led the landmark low-dose methotrexate trial (JAMA Internal Medicine), demonstrating no benefit for inflammatory OA, correcting widespread misconceptions about this anti-inflammatory therapy.

Prof. Ding’s trial of targeted IPFP glucocorticoid injection was the first to evaluate this biologically plausible intervention (JAMA Network Open). His multicenter randomized study comparing IPFP preservation versus resection in total knee arthroplasty overturned long-standing surgical assumptions (NEJM Evidence). Complementing these practice-changing findings, Curcuma longa trial provided high-quality evidence supporting a safe symptomatic therapy (Annals of Internal Medicine), while the results of SCUlpTOR stem-cell and metformin trial will advance disease-modifying treatment evaluation.

Prof. Ding has made important contributions in overview of OA including the recent review paper published in Nature Reviews Disease Primers, which has had >160 citations over 10 months. As a former OARSI Board Member and the current Chair of the Research & Training Committee, he co-authored the 2025 Early-Stage OA Classification Framework and has built international training networks.

So far (to Jan 2026), he authored >380 English publications, >130 Chinese publications, and >10 book/book chapters including a book titled “Investigators’ Handbook for Investigator-Initiated Trials” (People Health Press, Beijing, 2025).

1. Zhang Y, Ruan G, Fan T, Zheng P, Zhu Z, He J, Wei X, Hu W, Huang S, Chang Q, Gao P, Chen H, Zhou X, Liu X, Tang S, Jiang L*, Ding C*. Infrapatellar Fat Pad Glucocorticoid Injection in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2026; 9(1): e2548838

2. Dang Q, Hong Z, Zeng D, Cao P, Li S, Cen H, Wang X, Zhu Z, Han W, Wang J, Zhao L, Mobasheri A, Hunter DJ, Ma J, Li J, Ding C*. MRI-based radiomics to determine the role of thigh muscle quality in the development of knee osteoarthritis: A discovery and validation study. J Adv Res. 2026;79:819-831

3. Han W, Cao P, Cen H, Li B, Chen M, Li Y, Yang C, Lu, M, Zhang H, Ke Y, Zhu Z, Liu X, Gao P, Zhou X, Liu YQ, Dou Z, Liu Y, Zhang M, Lin J, Zha Z, Yin Z, Tian J, Lin L, Shang X, Hunter D, Liu J*, Lei G*, Ding C*. Infrapatellar fat pad preservation vs. resection in total knee arthroplasty. NEJM Evidence 2026

4. Zhu Z, Yu Q, Leng X, Xu J, Ren L, Wang K, Huang C, Pan Y, Zhao Y, Li T, Mei Y, Guan M, Li X, Zhang Z, Wu J, Chen Y, Qu Y, Zhu X, Liao Q, Wang Z, Liao Z, Xi Y, Deng W, Wang K, Zhu T, Zhang Y, Gao L, Zhou X, Han W, Ruan G, Zhang Y, Cao P, Gao P, Chen H, Dang Q, Cicuttini FM, Hunter DJ, Li Z, Zeng X*, Ding C*. Low-Dose Methotrexate for the Treatment of Inflammatory Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2025; 185(7): 808-16

5. Wang X, Liu Y, Sun Z, Li J, Lu Z, Huang J, Hu S, Cao P, Cao X, Li S, Ruan J, Liu J, Xie J, Sun H, Chen T, Li S, Zhu Z, Wen Z, Tuan RS, Hunter DJ, Li ZA, Shi D*, Ding C*. Multi-Omics Reveal the Dysregulated Gut-Joint Axis in Knee Synovitis: Data from Two Osteoarthritis Studies in China. Adv Sci. 2025; e12020

6. Lan W, Chen X, Yu H, Ruan J, Kang J, Nie X, Cao Y, Tang S*, Ding C*. UGDH Lactylation Aggravates Osteoarthritis by Suppressing Glycosaminoglycan Synthesis and Orchestrating Nucleocytoplasmic Transport to Activate MAPK Signaling. Adv Sci. 2025: e2413709

7. Tang S, Zhang C, Oo WM, Fu K, Risberg MA, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Neogi T, Atukorala I, Malfait AM, Ding C*, Hunter DJ*. Osteoarthritis. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2025; 11(1):10

8. Wu T, Wang X, Cai Z, Cao P, Dang Q, Zhou W, Xie J, Chen J, Wang T, Tao G, Han W, Zhu Z, Wang J, Hunter DJ, Barazzoni R, Ding C*, Li J*. Longitudinal Associations Between Baseline Sarcopenia and Knee Osteoarthritis Progression and Risk of Knee Replacement. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2025; 77(10): 1362-72

9. Xue S, Huang S, Ruan G, Chen J, Huang H, Wu C, Li J, Hu W, Zhang Y, Zhang C,* Ding C*. A DNA Nanomachine Reverses Mitochondrial Dysfunction by Cascaded Drug Release to Treat Osteoarthritis. Adv Funct Mater 2025; 35: 2419261

10. Wu C, Huang Z, Chen J, Li N, Cai Y, Chen J, Ruan G, Han W, Ding C*, Lu Y*. Efficiently directing differentiation and homing of mesenchymal stem cells to boost cartilage repair in osteoarthritis via a nanoparticle and peptide dual-engineering strategy. Biomaterials. 2025; 312:122720

11. Wen S, Xu S, Zong X, Wen S, Xiao W, Zheng W, Cen H, Zhu Z, Xie J, Zhang Y, Ding C*, Ruan G*. Association Analysis of the Circulating Proteome With Sarcopenia-Related Traits Reveals Potential Drug Targets for Sarcopenia. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025;16(1):e13720

12. Li S, Cao P, Li J, Chen T, Luo P, Ruan G, Zhang Y, Wang X, Han W, Zhu Z, Dang Q, Wang Q, Zhang M, Bai Q, Chai Z, Yang H, Chen H, Tang M, Akbar A, Tack A, Hunter D, Ding C*. Integrating Radiomics and Neural Networks for Knee Osteoarthritis Incidence Prediction. Arthritis Rheumatol 2024; 76(9):1377-86

13. Han S, Li T, Cao Y, Li Z, Mai Y, Fan T, Zeng M, Wen X, Han W, Lin L, Zhu L, Fu SN, Bennell KL, Hunter DJ, Ding C*, Li L*, Zhu Z*. Quantitative analysis of effectiveness and associated factors of exercise on symptoms in osteoarthritis: a pharmacodynamic model-based meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2024; 58(24): 1539-50

14. Tang S, Yao L, Ruan J, Kang J, Cao Y, Nie X, Lan W, Zhu Z, Han W, Liu Y, Tian J, Seale P, Qin L*, Ding C*. Single-cell atlas of human infrapatellar fat pad and synovium implicates APOE signaling in osteoarthritis pathology. Sci Transl Med. 2024;16(731): eadf4590

15. Cao Y, Ruan J, Kang J, Nie X, Lan W, Ruan G, Li J, Zhu Z, Han W, Tang S*, Ding C*. Extracellular Vesicles in Infrapatellar Fat Pad from Osteoarthritis Patients Impair Cartilage Metabolism and Induce Senescence. Adv Sci. 2024;11:e2303614.

16. Duong V, Oo WM, Ding C, Culvenor AG, Hunter DJ. Evaluation and Treatment of Knee Pain: A Review. JAMA 2023; 330:1568-1580

17. Zhang Y, Xie J, Wen S, Cao P, Xiao W, Zhu J, Li S, Wang Z, Cen H, Zhu Z, Ding C*, Ruan G*. Evaluating the causal effect of circulating proteome on the risk of osteoarthritis-related traits. Ann Rheum Dis. 2023; 82(12): 1606-17

18. Zheng S, Zhu Z, Ding C*. How can we design a proper trial for vitamin D treatment of diseases? Facts and numbers. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2023; 14(3): 1146-49

19. Zhu Z, Huang JY, Ruan G, Cao P, Chen S, Zhang Y, Han W, Chen T, Cai X, Liu J, Tang Y, Yu N, Wang Q, Hunter D, Wei JCC, Ding C*. Association between metformin use and risk of total joint replacement in patients with type 2 diabetes: a population-based matched cohort study. CAMJ. 2022;194:E1672-1684

20. Tang S, Cao Y, Cai Z, Nie X, Ruan J, Zhou Z, Ruan G, Zhu Z, Han W, Ding C*. The lncRNA PILA promotes NF-κB signaling in osteoarthritis by stimulating the activity of the protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT1. Sci Signal. 2022;15(735): eabm6265.

21. Cai Y, Wu C, Ou Q, Zeng M, Xue S, Chen J, Lu Y*, Ding C*. Enhanced osteoarthritis therapy by nanoengineered mesenchymal stem cells using biomimetic CuS nanoparticles loaded with plasmid DNA encoding TGF-β1. Bioact Mater. 2022;19: 444-457

22. Li J, Fu S, Gong Z, Zhu Z, Zeng D, Cao P, Lin T, Chen T, Wang X, Lartey R, Kwoh CK, Guermazi A, Roemer FW, Hunter DJ, Ma J, Ding C*. MRI-based Texture Analysis of Infrapatellar Fat Pad to Predict Knee Osteoarthritis Incidence. Radiology. 2022; 304(3): 611-21

23. Cao Y, Tang S, Nie X, Zhou Z, Ruan G, Han W, Zhu Z, Ding C*. Decreased miR-214-3p activates NF-κB pathway and aggravates osteoarthritis progression. EBioMedicine. 2021; 65: 103283.

24. Wang Z, Jones G, Winzenberg T, Cai G, Laslett LL, Aitken D, Hopper I, Singh A, Jones R, Fripp J, Ding C, Antony B. Effectiveness of Curcuma longa Extract for the Treatment of Symptoms and Effusion-Synovitis of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2020; 173(11): 861-9

25. Jin X, Jones G, Cicuttini F, Wluka AE, Zhu Z, Han W, Antony B, Wang X, Winzenberg T, Blizzard CL, Ding C*. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on tibial cartilage volume and knee pain among patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2016; 313 (10): 1005-13

26. Han W, Aitken D, Zhu Z, Halliday A, Wang X, Antony B, Cicuttini F, Jones G, Ding C*. Signal intensity alteration in the infrapatellar fat pad at baseline for the prediction of knee symptoms and structure in older adults: a cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016; 75(10): 1783-8

27. Wang X, Blizzard L, Halliday A, Han W, Jin X, Cicuttini F, Jones G, Ding C*. Association between MRI-detected knee joint regional effusion-synovitis and structural changes in older adults: a cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis 2016; 75: 519-25

28. Wang X, Blizzard L, Jin X, Chen Z, Zhu Z, Halliday A, Cicuttini F, Jones G, Ding C*. Quantitative knee effusion-synovitis assessment in older adults: associations with knee structural abnormalities. Arthritis Rheumatol 2016; 68(4):837-44

29. Pan F, Han W, Wang X, Liu Z, Jin X, Antony B, Cicuttini F, Jones G, Ding C*. A longitudinal study of the association between infrapatellar fat pad maximal area and changes in knee symptoms and structure in older adults. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015; 74(10): 1818-24

30. Antony B, Jones, G, Venn A, Cicuttini F, March L, Blizzard L, Dwyer T, Cross M, Ding C*. The association between childhood overweight measures and adulthood knee pain, stiffness and dysfunction: a 25-year cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis 2015; 74(4):711-7

31. Jin X, Beguerie J, Zhang W, Blizzard L, Ttahal P, Jones G, Ding C*. Circulating C-Reactive Protein in Osteoarthritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Ann Rheum Dis 2015; 74(4):703-10

32. Stannus O, Cao Y, Jones G, Blizzard L, Antony B, Ding C*. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between circulating leptin and knee cartilage thickness in older adults. Ann Rheum Dis 2015; 74(1):82-8

33. Cao Y, Stannus O, Aitken D, Cicuttini F, Jones G, Antony B, Ding C*. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between systemic, subchondral bone mineral density and knee cartilage thickness in older adults with or without radiographic osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2014; 73(11): 2003-9

34. Laslett LL, Quinn S, Burgess JR, Parameswaran V, Winzenberg TM, Jones G, Ding C. Moderate vitamin D deficiency is associated with changes in knee and hip pain in older adults: a 5-year longitudinal study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014; 73(4):697-703

35. Stannus O, Jones G, Blizzard, Cicuttini F, Ding C*. Associations between serum levels of inflammatory markers L and change in knee pain over 5 years in older adults: a prospective cohort study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2013; 72(4):535-40.

36. Ding C*, Parameswaran V, Blizzard, Burgess J, Jones G. Not a simple fat soluble vitamin: changes in serum 25(OH)D levels are predicted by adiposity, adipocytokines and lipids in older adults. J Intern Med 2010; 268: 501-10

37. Ding C*, Parameswaran V, Cicuttini F, Burgess J, Jones G. Serum levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure and knee cartilage loss in older adults: the Tasmania Older Adult Cohort (TASOAC) study. Arthritis Rheumatol 2009; 60(5): 1381-1389

38. Ding C*, Parameswaran V, Cicuttini F, Burgess J, Zhai G, Quinn S, Jones G. Association between leptin, body composition, sex and knee cartilage morphology in older adults: the Tasmanian Older Adult Cohort (TASOAC) study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2008: 67(9):1256-61

39. Ding C*, Cicuttini F, Blizzard L, Jones G. Smoking interacts with family history with regard to change in knee cartilage volume and cartilage defect development. Arthritis Rheumatol 2007; 56: 1521-8

40. Ding C*, Cicuttini F, Scott F, Cooley H, Boon C, Jones G. Natural history of knee cartilage defects and factors affecting change. JAMA Intern Med 2006; 166 (6): 651-8

41. Ding C, Cicuttini F, Scott F, Boon C, Jones G. Association of prevalent and incident knee cartilage defects with loss of tibial and patellar cartilage: a longitudinal study. Arthritis Rheumatol 2005; 52: 3918-27

42. Ding C, Cicuttini F, Scott F, Cooley H, Jones G. The association between age and knee structural change: a cross-sectional MRI-based study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005; 64:549-55  

Academic Honors and Awards

• Highly Cited Chinese Scholar (Elsevier, 2019–)

• Ranked #1 in China for OA Research Impact (Expertscape, 2023–)

• 2018: “Leading Talents in Scientific And Technological Innovation” of Guangdong Province

• National Specially Recruited Expert (2018)

• 2016: “Vice-Chancellor’s Outstanding Research Program” University of Tasmania

Courses Offered

Clinical Research Methods