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Don Ayer, PhD, investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute and associate professor in the Department of
Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah, is a leader in the area of gene regulation and its role in normal and
cancer cell growth. His research focuses on how cells regulate a transcription factor known as Myc, which is
mutated in a wide variety of cancers. In normal cells, Myc is responsible for turning on the genes that are
required for cell division. In cancer cells, Myc is "hyperactive" and causes cells to divide
continuously, creating excess, unnecessary cells that form a tumor. Ayer’s research group investigates how Myc
functions in normal and cancer cells, and they work to increase the understanding of basic gene control mechanisms. This information could greatly improve cancer diagnosis methods and treatment.
Ayer, a native of Michigan, earned a PhD in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Colorado. From 1989 to
1995, he received additional training under the direction of Robert Eisenman, PhD, a National Academy of Science member, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. In 1995, he was recruited to the University of Utah and
Huntsman Cancer Institute. He has published numerous research papers in leading scientific journals such as Cell
and Genes and Development, and is the author of several book chapters in the area of gene expression.
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