
Helen Ding, MD
Education and training
Medical school – NYU Long Island School of Medicine
Masters degree (MAT) – Relay Graduate School of Education Undergraduate – Brown University
Professional interests
Environmental justice
Integrative medicine
Addiction medicine and harm reduction
Adolescent medicine
Medical education
Homeless health
Gender affirming care
Immigrant health
A little about me
I completed my undergraduate in Rhode Island, where I studied Contemplative Studies to understand the impact of mindfulness-based practices on physical and mental health. After graduating, I moved to Brooklyn to teach middle school science through Teach for America. After working as a teacher for three years, I attended NYU Long Island School of Medicine, a primary-care focused medical school. Throughout my time in medical school, I continued developing my passions for health justice, community, and holistic medicine through my involvement in the student-run free clinic, Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) research, and integrative medicine research. I love listening to my patients’ stories. I am excited to partner with patients and their families to address systemic health inequities that contribute to disease and empower patients to have a voice in their health plan.
Why I love my job
I enjoy being a family medicine resident because I love building relationships with patients, partnering with the many communities in NYC, and learning alongside others at the Institute how I can work towards a more just health system. I believe it is a huge privilege to be a primary care doctor and am honored to play a role in her patients’ health journeys.