Donald E. Ayer

Donald E. Ayer, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah, where he has been since 1995. He serves as Senior Director of Cancer Training and Career Enhancement at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and leads the Ayer Lab, focusing on transcriptional control of cancer metabolism.

• Key Research Areas: Myc transcription factor regulation, MondoA nutrient sensing, TXNIP role in glucose homeostasis, mitochondrial-nuclear communication, and metabolic reprogramming in cancer.
• Notable Collaborations: Work with Robert Eisenman (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), Richard Schlegel (University of Utah), and Cancer Genome Atlas Network.
• Education: PhD in Chemistry/Biochemistry from University of Colorado (1989), Postdoctoral training under Robert Eisenman at Fred Hutchinson (1989-1995).

Scientific Contributions: Discovered MondoA and established its role in glucose sensing. Pioneered research on Myc-MondoA-TXNIP transcriptional network's impact on cancer cell proliferation and metabolic homeostasis. Developed bioluminescent sirtuin activity assays for drug discovery.

Recent Publications highlight:

• 2024: Novel sirtuin activity assay for lysine deacylation
• 2023: TXNIP's role in Myc genomic binding in cancer
• 2021: Age-related MondoA decline in cellular senescence