Dr. Sharer obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Rutgers University and performed postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute and Emory University. He became board certified in Clinical Biochemical Genetics in 2005 and was recruited to UAB the same year to establish the UAB Biochemical Genetics Laboratory.

The lab, the only one of its kind in the Deep South, provides CLIA-certified clinical diagnostic testing for inherited metabolic disorders, a broad category of genetic diseases that affect approximately 1 in every 1000 births in the United States.

While the primary focus of the lab is clinical diagnostics, Dan’s background heavily emphasized basic research, specifically elucidation of signal transduction pathways regulated by Ras-related GTPases. The lab remains dedicated to providing collaborative research services, particularly targeted metabolomic analyses of animal models.

Dr. Sharer also spends a significant amount of time serving on local, regional, and national committees, including the American Board of Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) Board of Directors, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) review committee, and he is the former President of the Southeastern Regional Genetics Group (SERGG).

Outside the workplace, Dan enjoys exercising and spending time with his wife and two children (and Teddy, their ferocious Labradoodle). While he no longer participates in competitive sports, he also enjoys watching baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. Fun fact: during an honors program internship at Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, Dan caught a 10-foot Tiger Shark (and had to throw it back).