Academic Appointments
- Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine
Current Administrative Positions
- Chief, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases
- Co-leader of the Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Program, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center


Dr. Timothy Wang is a leading expert in gastroenterology cancer research and patient care. His research specifically focuses on transgenic/ knockout mice, stem cells, lineage tracing, bone marrow-derived cells, and FACS analysis of immune/epithelial cells in the gut. His laboratory has for decades investigated the molecular mechanisms of gastrointestinal carcinogenesis, and has been continuously funded by the NIH for 29 years and by the NCI for 14 years. His lab has worked for many years on the role of inflammation in promoting gastrointestinal neoplasia, including colon cancer. His research has defined key roles for stromal cells in tumor development, including myeloid cells.
Dr. Wang is the GI Division Chief at Columbia and serves as Co-leader of the Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Program of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. He also serves as director of the Columbia University NCI U54 Tumor Microenvironment (TMEN) program and directs the Barrett’s Esophageal Translational Research Network (BETRNet) program and the Intestinal Stem Cell Consortium (ISCC) at Columbia.
In addition to his leadership at Columbia, Dr. Wang has served as President of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA). His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Outstanding Investigator Award from the NCI, the Irene and Arthur Fishberg Prize for medical research, the Ruth Leff Siegel Award for pancreatic cancer research, and the William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology from the AGA. Over his career, he has organized numerous conferences, including conferences on Gastrin, Regulatory Peptides, AACR Symposium on Gastric Cancer, Tumor Microenvironment, and Keystone Conferences.
My laboratory has for decades investigated the molecular mechanisms of gastrointestinal carcinogenesis, continuously funded by the NIH for 30 years and by the NCI for 15 years, currently funded by an NCI R35 Outstanding Investigator Award. My lab has worked for many years on the role of inflammation in modulating stem cells and promoting gastrointestinal neoplasia using mouse models. I have defined key roles for stromal cells in tumor development, including myeloid cells, ILCs and nerves. Our lab makes extensive use of transgenic/ knockout mice, stem cells, lineage tracing, 3D organoids, scRNA-seq and FACS analysis of immune/epithelial cells in the gut.
I am also GI Division Chief at Columbia, and Director of the GI/Pancreas Cancer Program and Tumor Biology and Microenvironment (TBM) program in the Herbert Irving Cancer Center. I served for over a decade as director of the Columbia NCI U54 Tumor Microenvironment (TMEN) program, and I currently direct the Barrett’s Esophageal Translational Research Network (BETRNet) program and the NIDDK UO1 Intestinal Stem Cell Consortium (ISCC) at Columbia. I am Past President of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), and recipient of the William Beaumont Award.
Over the past decade, my laboratory has increasingly focused on pancreatic cancer with several high-profile publications. Our lab has published frequently in high impact journals including Cell Stem Cell, Cancer Cell, Cell, Science, Nature, and Gastroenterology. I am the Research Director for the Pancreas Center; and have brought together basic and clinical investigators into a cohesive, translational program. I enjoy mentoring fellows and postdocs, having trained many on T32 and K grants. Our lab collaborates extensively with more than a dozen investigators at CUIMC, and many others worldwide.
Dr. Wang began his research career in the area of gastrin biology, and his research has continued to explore the role of gastrin peptides in diverse diseases including peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer. His laboratory was the first to generate gastrin knockout mice and to demonstrate using transgenic technology in vivo roles for progastrin. Most recently, he has demonstrated a role for progastrin and the gastrin receptor in modulating colonic stem cell symmetric division (J. Clin. Invest. 2009). He has been a leader in the field of gastrin biology, and his work in the field of gut hormones has included organizing the International Conference on Gastrin (1999) and the International Regulatory Peptide Conference (2002).
Departments and Divisions
- Department of Medicine
Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases
Board Certifications
- Internal Medicine
- Gastroenterology
Areas of Expertise
- Cancer Care
- Colon Cancer Screening and Prevention
- Gastric Cancer
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
Education and Training
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Internship: Barnes Jewish Hospital
- Residency: Barnes Jewish Hospital
- Fellowship: Harvard Hospitals
Locations
CUIMC/Herbert Irving Pavilion
161 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10032- Phone:
- (212) 305-1909
Centers / Institutes / Programs
- Institute of Human Nutrition
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Provider Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Insurance Programs
Please contact the provider's office directly to verify that your particular insurance is accepted.
- AETNA [Aetna Signature Administrators, EPO, HMO, Medicare Managed Care, NYP Employee Plan, NY Signature, POS, PPO, Student Health]
- Affinity Health Plan [Essential Plan, Medicaid Managed Care]
- AgeWell [Medicare Managed Care, Special Needs]
- Amida Care [Special Needs]
- CIGNA [EPO, Great West (National), HMO, POS, PPO]
- Emblem/GHI [Medicare Managed Care, PPO]
- Emblem/HIP [ConnectiCare, EPO, Essential Plan, HMO, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care, POS, PPO, Select Care (Exchange), Vytra]
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield [EPO, HMO, Medicare Managed Care, PPO]
- Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus [Child/Family Health Plus, Essential Plan, Medicaid Managed Care]
- Fidelis Care [Child/Family Health Plus, Essential Plan, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care]
- Healthfirst [Child/Family Health Plus, Leaf (Exchange), Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care]
- Local 1199 [Local 1199]
- MagnaCare (National) [MagnaCare]
- Medicare [Railroad, Traditional Medicare]
- Multiplan [Multiplan]
- MVP Health Care [Child/Family Health Plus, Essential Plan, HMO, Medicaid Managed Care]
- Oxford Health Plans [Freedom, Liberty]
- Quality Health Management [Quality Health Management]
- RiverSpring [Special Needs]
- UnitedHealthcare [Columbia University Employee Plan, Compass (Exchange), Empire Plan, HMO, Medicaid (Community Plan), Medicare Managed Care, POS, PPO]
- VNSNY CHOICE [Medicare Managed Care, SelectHealth, Special Needs]
- WellCare [Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare Managed Care]
This provider does not accept new patients
Honors and Awards
AGA Funderberg Gastric Cancer AwardResearch Interests
- Chronic inflammation in modulating stem cells in ways that predispose to gastrointestinal cancers
NIH Grants
UNDERSTANDING STEM CELL HETEROGENEITY AND NICHE FUNCTION IN INTESTINAL REGENERATION AFTER IRRADIATION (Federal Gov)
Sep 13 2019 - Aug 31 2024
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING IN TRANSLATIONAL GASTRINOINTESTINAL AND LIVER RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2019 - Jun 30 2024
THE ROLE OF STEM CELLS AND THE MICROENVIRONMENT IN GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS (Federal Gov)
Dec 7 2016 - Nov 30 2023
THE ROLE OF RHOA IN DIFFUSE GASTRIC CANCER (Federal Gov)
Jun 8 2018 - Mar 31 2023
THE ROLE OF THE MICRO ENVIRONMENT IN BARRETT S ESOPHAGUS (Federal Gov)
May 12 2017 - Apr 30 2022
THE FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF HISTIDINE DECARBOXYLASE IN GUT INFLAMMATION (Federal Gov)
Aug 1 2017 - Jul 31 2021
FUSOBACTERIUM NUCLEATUM-MEDIATED STIMULATION OF COLORECTAL CANCER: MECHANISTIC STUDIES (Federal Gov)
Dec 1 2014 - Nov 30 2020
FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF PROGASTRIN RECEPTORS ON INTESTINAL PROGENITORS (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2015 - Jun 30 2020
FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF PROGASTRIN RECEPTORS ON INTESTINAL PROGENITORS (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2015 - Jun 30 2020
FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF PROGASTRIN RECEPTORS ON INTESTINAL PROGENITORS (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2015 - Jun 30 2020
FUSOBACTERIUM NUCLEATUM-MEDIATED STIMULATION OF COLORECTAL CANCER: MECHANISTIC STUDIES (Federal Gov)
Dec 1 2014 - Nov 30 2019
FUSOBACTERIUM NUCLEATUM-MEDIATED STIMULATION OF COLORECTAL CANCER: MECHANISTIC STUDIES (Federal Gov)
Dec 1 2014 - Nov 30 2019
DIFFERENTIATING RADIO-SENSITIVITIES AMONG INTESTINAL STEM CELL POOLS (Federal Gov)
Sep 15 2014 - Aug 31 2019
DIFFERENTIATING RADIO-SENSITIVITIES AMONG INTESTINAL STEM CELL POOLS (Federal Gov)
Sep 15 2014 - Aug 31 2019
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING IN TRANSLATIONAL GASTRINOINTESTINAL AND LIVER RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2014 - Jun 30 2019
TARGETING CHOLINERGIC RECEPTORS TO SUPPRESS PANCREATIC CANCER (Private)
Jul 1 2017 - Jun 30 2019
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING IN TRANSLATIONAL GASTRINOINTESTINAL AND LIVER RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2014 - Jun 30 2019
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING IN TRANSLATIONAL GASTRINOINTESTINAL AND LIVER RESEARCH (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2014 - Jun 30 2019
CHOLINERGIC REGULATION OF THE NEURAL MICROENVIRONMENT IN PANCREATICCANCER (Private)
Jul 1 2018 - Jun 30 2019
MOUSE MODELS OF GASTRIC CANCER (Federal Gov)
Jan 13 2014 - Nov 30 2018
MOUSE MODELS OF GASTRIC CANCER (Federal Gov)
Jan 13 2014 - Nov 30 2018
MOUSE MODELS OF GASTRIC CANCER (Federal Gov)
Jan 13 2014 - Nov 30 2018
DF/HCC SPORE IN GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER (Federal Gov)
Sep 23 2013 - Jun 30 2018
CHEMOPREVENTION OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER IN A MOUSE MODEL OF BARRET S ESOPHAGUS (Federal Gov)
Sep 18 2015 - Sep 17 2017
GI TRACT DYSBIOSIS AND BREAST CANCER (Federal Gov)
Sep 26 2012 - Aug 31 2017
QUIESCENT DCLK1+ STEM CELLS IN THE MOUSE INTESTINE (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2013 - May 31 2017
STEM CELLS AND THE ORIGINS OF BARRETT S ESOPHAGUS (Federal Gov)
Sep 26 2011 - Mar 31 2017
THE ROLE OF NOVEL RHO PATHWAY GENOMIC ALTERATIONS IN DIFFUSE GASTRIC CANCER (Private)
Feb 1 2015 - Jan 31 2017
ROLE OF NEURONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESSION OF PANCREATIC CANCER (Private)
Jan 1 2013 - Dec 31 2016
PRECLINICAL STUDIES WITH MDX 400 IN MOUSE MODELS OF GASTRIC CANCER (Private)
Sep 10 2014 - Sep 9 2016
STEM CELLS AND THE ORIGINS FO BARRETT S ESOPHAGUS (Federal Gov)
Sep 26 2011 - Aug 31 2016
MYOFIBROBLASTS IN GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS (Federal Gov)
Sep 22 2011 - Jul 31 2016
MYOFIBROBLASTS IN GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS (Federal Gov)
Sep 22 2011 - Jul 31 2016
MYOFIBROBLASTS IN GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS (Federal Gov)
Sep 22 2011 - Jul 31 2016
QUIESCENT DCLK1+ STEM CELLS IN THE MOUSE INTESTINE (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2013 - May 31 2016
THE FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF HISTIDINE DECARBOXYLASE IN GUT INFLAMMATION (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2011 - Mar 31 2016
THE FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF HISTIDINE DECARBOXYLASE IN GUT INFLAMMATION (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2011 - Mar 31 2016
MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS AND TREATMENT OF MNGIE (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2010 - Jan 31 2016
FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF PROGASTRIN (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2010 - Jun 30 2015
DCLK1 IN PANCREATIC TUMORIGENESIS (Private)
Jul 1 2013 - Jun 30 2015
THE FUNCTION AND REGULATION OF TREFOIL FACTOR FAMILY 2 (TFF2) (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2001 - Jun 30 2014
INFLAMMATION AND THE ESOPHAGEAL TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT (Federal Gov)
Oct 1 2009 - Aug 31 2013
THE INFLUENCE OF HEDGEHOG PATHWAY INHIBITION ON PANCREATIC CANCER METASTASIS (Private)
Jul 1 2010 - Jun 30 2013
CHEMOPREVENTION IN A NOVEL MOUSE MODEL OF BARRETT'S ESOPHARG US AND ESPHAGEAL (Federal Gov)
Nov 1 2010 - Apr 29 2013
CHEMOPREVENTION IN A NOVEL MOUSE MODEL OF BARRETT S ESOPHARGUS AND ESOPHAGEAL ADENOCARCINOMA (Federal Gov)
Nov 1 2010 - Apr 29 2013
INFLAMMATION AND THE SEPOHANGEAL TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT (Federal Gov)
Oct 1 2009 - Aug 31 2012
THE ROLE OF INFLAMMATION AND STROMA IN DIGESTIVE CANCER (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2006 - Aug 31 2012
STEM CELLS AND GASTRIC CANCER (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2006 - Jul 31 2012
ROLE OF STEM CELLS IN GASTRIC CANCER (Private)
Nov 17 2008 - Mar 31 2012
THE ROLE OF INFLAMMATION AND STEM CELLS IN COLON CARCINOGENE SIS (Private)
Jul 1 2010 - Jun 30 2011
INDUCED PLURIPTOTENT STEM (IPS) CELLS DERIVED FROM MESENCHYM AL STEM CELLS (NY State Gov)
Jan 1 2009 - Dec 31 2010
Publications
- Chang W, Wang H, Kim W, Liu Y, Deng H, Liu H, Jiang Z, Niu Z, Sheng W, Nápoles OC, Sun Y, Xu J, Sepulveda A, Hayakawa Y, Bass AJ, Wang TC. Hormonal suppression of stem cells inhibits symmetric cell division and gastric tumorigenesis. Cell Stem Cell. 2020 Feb 20. pii: S1934-5909(20)30020-5. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.01.020. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 32142681
- Renz BW, Takahashi R, Tanaka T, Macchini M, Hayakawa Y, Dantes Z, Maurer HC, Chen X, Jiang Z, Westphalen CB, Ilmer M, Valenti G, Mohanta SK, Habenicht AJR, Middelhoff M, Chu T, Nagar K, Tailor Y, Casadei R, Di Marco M, Kleespies A, Friedman RA, Remotti H, Reichert M, Worthley DL, Neumann J, Werner J, Iuga AC, Olive KP, Wang TC. B2 adrenergic-neurotrophin feedforward loop promotes pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell. 2018; 33(1):75-90.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2017.11.007. PMID:29249692
- Worthley DL, Churchill M, Compton JT, Tailor Y, Rao M, Si Y, Levin D, Schwartz MG, Uygur A, Hayakawa Y, Gross S, Renz BW, Setlik W, Martinez AN, Chen X, Nizami S, Lee HG, Kang HP, Caldwell JM, Asfaha S, Westphalen CB, Graham T, Jin G, Nagar K, Wang H, Kheirbek MA, Kolhe A, Carpenter J, Glaire M, Nair A, Renders S, Manieri N, Muthupalani S, Fox JG, Reichert M, Giraud AS, Schwabe RF, Pradere JP, Walton K, Prakash A, Gumucio D, Rustgi AK, Stappenbeck TS, Friedman RA, Gershon MD, Sims P, Grikscheit T, Lee FY, Karsenty G, Mukherjee S, Wang TC. Gremlin1 identifies a skeletal cell with bone, cartilage, and reticular stromal potential. Cell. 2015; 160(1-2):269-84. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.11.042. PMID:5594183
- Wang TC, Cardiff RD, Zuckerberg L, Lees E, Arnold A, and Schmidt EV. (1994) Mammary hyperplasia and carcinoma in MMTV-Cyclin D1 transgenic mice. Nature 369:669-71
- Fox JG, Beck P, Dangler CA, Whary MT, Wang TC, Shi HN, and Anderson CN. (2000) Concurrent enteric helminth infection modulates inflammation, gastric immune responses, and reduces Helicobacter-induced gastric atrophy. Nature Medicine 6:536-42
- Houghton J, Stoicov C, Nomura S, Rogers AB, Carlson J, Li H, Cai X, Fox JG, Goldenring JR, Wang TC. (2004) Gastric cancer originating from bone marrow-derived cells. Science 306:1568-71
- Tu S, Bhagat G, Cui G, Takaishi S, Kurt-Jones EA, Rickman B, Betz KS, Penz-Oesterreicher M, Bjorkdahl O, Fox JG, Wang TC. (2008) Overexpression of interleukin-1beta induces gastric inflammation and cancer and mobilizes myeloid-derived suppressor cells in mice. Cancer Cell 14:408-19
- Takaishi S, Okumura T, Tu S, Wang SS, Shibata W, Vigneshwaran R, Gordon SA, Shimada Y, Wang TC.
- (2009) Identification of gastric cancer stem cells using the cell surface marker CD44. Stem Cells 27:1006-20
- Jin G, Ramanathan V, Baik GH, Wang SSW, Tu S, Pritchard DM, Varro A, Shulkes A, Wang TC. (2009 ) Inactivation of the cholecystokinin-2 receptor inhibits progastrin-dependent crypt fission, colonic proliferation and colorectal cancer. Journal of Clinical Investigation Sept:
For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov