Aaron D Viny, MD

Medical Oncology
Cancer Care
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Overview

Dr. Viny is an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physician and Surgeons. He is a hematologist and medical oncologist and laboratory-based physician-scientist focusing on the study of clonal hematopoiesis, myelodysplastic syndrome, and acute myeloid leukemias. His research uses state-of-the-art 3-dimensional genomic techniques to uncover the genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of these diseases in order to find more precise and less toxic treatment modalities. He is also a member and Assistant Director of Shared Resources at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).

Dr. Viny received his medical degree at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College and fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated

  • Acute Leukemia
  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia
  • Clonal Hematopoiesis
  • Hematologic Malignancies
  • Myelodysplastic Syndrome
  • Myeloproliferative Disease
  • Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Academic Appointments

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine

Administrative Titles

  • Assistant Professor of Genetics & Development
  • Member, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative
  • Member, Cancer Genomics and Epigenomics Program, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Assistant Director of Shared Resources, HICCC

Gender

  • Male

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Insurance Accepted

Aetna

  • Aetna Signature Administrators
  • EPO
  • NYP Employee Plan
  • NY Signature
  • POS
  • PPO
  • Student Health

Affinity Health Plan

  • Medicaid Managed Care

AgeWell

  • Medicare Managed Care
  • Special Needs

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  • New Jersey Services (Medicaid Managed Care)

Cigna

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  • Great West (National)
  • HMO
  • Medicare Managed Care
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Emblem/GHI

  • Medicare Managed Care
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Emblem/HIP

  • ConnectiCare
  • EPO
  • Essential Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • POS
  • PPO
  • Select Care (Exchange)
  • Vytra

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus

  • Child/Family Health Plus
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Fidelis Care

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  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • Medicare Managed Care

Healthfirst

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Leaf (Exchange)
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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

Quality Health Management

  • Quality Health Management

RiverSpring

  • Special Needs

UnitedHealthcare

  • Compass (Exchange)
  • Empire Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicaid (Community Plan)
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • Oxford Freedom
  • Oxford HMO
  • Oxford Liberty
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VNSNY CHOICE

  • SelectHealth

WellCare

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World Trade Center Health Plan

  • World Trade Center Health Plan

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Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University
  • Internship: New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College
  • Residency: New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College
  • Fellowship: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Committees, Societies, Councils

Memberships:

  • International Society of Experimental Hematology
  • American Association of Cancer Research
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • Associate Member, American Society of Hematology
  • American College of Physicians

Board Certifications

  • Medical Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Internal Medicine

Honors & Awards

  1. Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Scholar Merit Award (2024)
  2. National Cancer Institute, R37 Method to Extend Research in Time MERIT Award (2023)
  3. American Society of Hematology, Joanne Levy, MD Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement (2022)
  4. Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons Early Physician Scientist Award (2021)
  5. Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Scholar Award (2021)
  6. Paul Sherlock Housestaff Teaching Award, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2020)
  7. Young Physician Scientist Award, American Society of Clinical Investigation (2020)
  8. Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (awarded/deferred 2014-2015, awarded/accepted 2015-2016)
  9. Research Training Award for Fellows, American Society of Hematology (2014-2015)
  10. Dana Foundation, Clinical Scholars Award (2014-2016)
  11. Clinical Scholars Training Program in Biomedical Research, Competitive T32 Award, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2014-2016)
  12. Mortimer J. Lacher Fellowship of the Lymphoma Foundation, Award in Hematologic Oncology Research (2013-2014, 2014-2015)
  13. David E. Rogers Memorial Research Award, 18th Annual David E. Rogers Memorial Research Competition Winner, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital (2012)
  14. Joseph G. Hayes Senior Resident Teaching Award, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital (2012)
  15. New York Presbyterian Hospitals of Columbia and Cornell CARE Award (July 2011) – to recognize one employee from New York-Presbyterian Hospital who exemplifies our motto of “We Put Patients First” as well as the NYP Values: Respect, Teamwork, Excellence, Empathy, Innovation and Responsibility

Research

Normal gene expression is controlled, in part, through multiple regulatory systems which coordinate transcription. This includes transcription factors that recruit enzymes to express genes as well as an evolving understanding of the 3-dimensional chromatin architecture which brings together either DNA enhancer regions to activate genes or DNA insulation regions to silence genes. Structural scaffold proteins such at CTCF and the cohesin complex are essential in maintaining the integrity of local DNA structural interactions within defined neighborhoods known as topologically associating domains (TADs).

These proteins provide dynamic structure within the TAD which is essential in influencing dynamic cell-type specific transcriptional programs. Genes which contribute to transcriptional regulation, including members of the cohesin complex, are frequently mutated in human cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (12-20%), glioblastoma multiforme (5%), bladder cancer (20-35%) and Ewing sarcoma (40-50%).

The functional consequences of chromatin structure in regulating lineage-specification, signal-dependent responses, and local/distant DNA structure has not been fully elucidated, however, our recent work has established the requirement of suitable chromatin architecture for the function of cell-type specific transcription factors to activate gene responsible for blood formation bone marrow stem cell differentiation.

Our laboratory uses genetic mouse models and primary patient samples to understand the role of altered chromatin architecture as a regulator of gene expression/gene silencing that maintain the balance of hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal with differentiation and blood formation.

Grants

NIH/NCI K08 CA215317, “Role of the Cohesin complex in normal and malignant hematopoiesis” 8/2018-7/2023

Edward P. Evans Foundation Young Investigator Award, “Cohesin complex mutations decouple chromatin structure and transcriptional output in myelodysplastic syndrome” 7/2018-6/2021

Selected Publications

  1. Dunbar A, Bowman RL, Park Y, Izzo F, Myers RM, Karzai A, Kim WJ, Fernández Maestre I, Michael R. Waarts RJ, Nazir A, Xiao W, Brodsky M, Farina M, Cai L, Cai SF, Wang B, An W, Yang JL, Mowla S, Eisman SE, Mishra T, Houston R, Guzzardi E, Martinez Benitez AR, Viny AD, Koche R, Landau DA, Levine RL. Jak2V617F Reversible Activation Shows an Essential Requirement for Jak2V617F in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms. Cancer Discovery 2024 Jan 12. PMID: 38230747.
  2. Xu JJ and Viny AD* “Chromatin Organization in Myelodysplastic Syndrome” [REVIEW] Experimental Hematology. 2024 Apr 4;134:104216. PMID:38582293 3. Kubota Y and Viny AD* “Germline Predisposition to Clonal Hematopoiesis” [REVIEW] Seminars in Hematology Seminars in Hematology. 2024 Feb;61(1):61-67. PMID: 38311514
  3. Xu J, Song F, Lyu H, Kobayashi M, Zhang B, Zhao Z, Hou Y, Wang X, Luan Y, Jia B, Stasiak L, Wong JH, Wang Q, Jin Q, Jin Q, Fu Y, Yang H, Hardison RC, Dovat S, Platanias LC, Diao Y, Yang Y, Yamada T, Viny AD, Levine RL, Claxton D, Broach JR, Zheng H, Yue F. Subtype-specific 3D genome alteration in acute myeloid leukaemia, Nature, 2022 Nov;611(7935):387-398. PMID: 36289338
  4. Viny AD*, Bowman RL, Liu Y, Lavallée VP, Eisman S, Xiao W, Durham B, Navitski A, Park J, Braunstein S, Alija B, Karzai A, Csete IS, Witkin M, Azizi E, Baslan T, Ott CJ, Pe’er D, Dekker J, Koche R, Levine RL. Cohesin members Stag1 and Stag2 display distinct roles in chromatin accessibility and topological control of HSC self-renewal and differentiation. Cell Stem Cell November 7, 25(5): 682-696 e688. PMID: 31495782

Grants

  • NIH/NCI R37 CA286857, The role of the cohesin complex in hematopoietic transformation and leukemia maintenance, 9/2023-8/2030, Total Award Amount $4,414,409 plus Administrative Supplement (G. Bhagat), Diversity Supplement (E. Stewart), Diversity Supplement (A.M. Galang)Role: PI NIH/NCI
  • P01 CA285250, Aging-related hematopoietic stem cell intrinsic and microenvironmental signals in AML transformation (Core A) Role: Co-I Louis V. Gerstner Jr Scholar Merit Award, Columbia University, Alterations in DNA methylation and chromatin structure as convergent pathogenic drivers in myelodysplastic syndrome, Gerstner Scholars Program, 7/2024-6/2025, Total Award Amount $100,000 Role: PI
  • American Society of Hematology Scholar Junior Faculty Award, “Investigating the epigenetic effects of Stag2 loss in therapeutic resistance of secondary AML”, 7/2024-6/2026, Total Award Amount $150,000 Role: PI
  • Clinician Scientist Development Award, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Epigenetic Coupling of DNA Methylation and Chromatin Structure as Determinants of Cell Fate Specification in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, 7/2022-6/2025, $360,000 [co-funded with Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation] Role: PI
  • Clinical Investigator Award, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, Epigenetic Coupling of DNA Methylation and Chromatin Structure as Determinants of Cell Fate Specification in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, 7/2022-6/2025, $300,000 [co-funded with Doris Duke Charitable Foundation] Role: PI