Abstract
Chi Van Dang helped define the complex functions of the MYC oncogene, a central switch in human cancer, through identifying the nuclear localization, dimerization, and transactivation domains mediating Myc transcription factor activity. The Dang laboratory documented the first link between an oncogene and altered cancer cell metabolism through the finding that Myc directly regulates LDHA, which produces lactate dehydrogenase A and mediates the final step of aerobic glycolysis or the Warburg effect. His laboratory further demonstrated a broader role of c-Myc in the regulation of glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and mitochondrial biogenesis, potentially explaining the age-old observation of altered sugar metabolism in cancers, which is now beginning to be exploited for cancer therapy. In addition, his laboratory contributed to an important connection between c-Myc and microRNA expression. Dr. Dang and his colleagues launched a public database (www.myc-cancer-gene.org) that integrates a vast amount of Myc biological and genetic information, providing a key resource for the field.
Born in Saigon, Viet Nam, Chi Dang immigrated to the United States and received his BS (highest honors) in chemistry from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, his PhD (distinction) in chemistry from Georgetown University, and MD (Alpha Omega Alpha; Phi Beta Kappa) from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1982. He was an Osler Medical Resident at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a hematology-oncology fellow at the UCSF Cancer Research Institute. He was chief of the Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1993-2003). Dr. Dang is professor of medicine, cell biology, oncology, and pathology, with joint appointments in molecular biology and genetics. He is the Johns Hopkins Family Professor of Oncology Research, vice dean for research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and executive director of the Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering. He serves on multiple editorial and advisory boards. Dr. Dang has been elected to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the Association of American Physicians (AAP), and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy, and is a past president of the ASCI.