Scott A. Summers

About

Scott Summers, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor and Department Chair of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah. As a principal investigator in the Summers and Holland Investigational Team, his research focuses on nutrition and physiology, contributing to the understanding of these fields through his leadership and scholarly work. His role involves guiding research initiatives, mentoring students and staff, and advancing knowledge in nutrition and integrative physiology.

Research topics

• Endocrinology
• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Biology
• Sociology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics
• Data Mining
• Psychology
• Demography

Selected publications

• Ceramides and other sphingolipids as drivers of cardiovascular disease

  Nature Reviews Cardiology · 2021 · 377 citations

  DOI

• Ceramides in Metabolism: Key Lipotoxic Players

  Annual Review of Physiology · 2020 · 310 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  The global prevalence of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, steatohepatitis, myocardial infarction, and stroke has increased dramatically over the past two decades. These obesity-fueled disorders result, in part, from the aberrant accumulation of harmful lipid metabolites in tissues not suited for lipid storage (e.g., the liver, vasculature, heart, and pancreatic beta-cells). Among the numerous lipid subtypes that accumulate, sphingolipids such as ceramides are particularly imp…

  DOI

• Metabolic dysfunction and obesity‐related cancer: Beyond obesity and metabolic syndrome

  Obesity · 2022 · 157 citations

  OBJECTIVES: The metabolic dysfunction driven by obesity, including hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia, increases risk for developing at least 13 cancer types. The concept of "metabolic dysfunction" is often defined by meeting various combinations of criteria for metabolic syndrome. However, the lack of a unified definition of metabolic dysfunction makes it difficult to compare findings across studies. This review summarizes 129 studies that evaluated variable definitions of metabolic dysfunction in…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier is required for optimal brown fat thermogenesis

  eLife · 2020 · 67 citations

  C-glucose showed that loss of MPC1 led to impaired labeling of TCA cycle intermediates. Loss of MPC1 in BAT increased 3-hydroxybutyrate levels in blood and BAT in response to the cold, suggesting that ketogenesis provides an alternative fuel source to compensate. Collectively, these studies highlight that complete glucose oxidation is essential for optimal brown fat thermogenesis.

  PublisherDOI

• Influence of Exercise Training on Skeletal Muscle Insulin Resistance in Aging: Spotlight on Muscle Ceramides

  International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2020 · 38 citations

  Intramuscular lipid accumulation has been associated with insulin resistance (IR), aging, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity. A substantial body of evidence has implicated ceramides, a sphingolipid intermediate, as potent antagonists of insulin action that drive insulin resistance. Indeed, genetic mouse studies that lower ceramides are potently insulin sensitizing. Surprisingly less is known about how physical activity (skeletal muscle contraction) regulates ceramides, especially in light that…

  DOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R56DK058784

  NIH · $50k · 2006

• Interdisciplinary Training Program in Metabolism

  NIH · $4.5M · 2011–2026

• The Role of Ceramides in Skeletal Muscle

  NIH · $2.6M · 2018–2022

Frequent coauthors

• William L. Holland

  University of Utah

  82 shared

• Olga Ilkayeva

  40 shared

• Mary C. Playdon

  Huntsman Cancer Institute

  37 shared

• Jianhong Ching

  KK Women's and Children's Hospital

  33 shared

• Morris J. Birnbaum

  Pfizer (United States)

  33 shared

• Leonardo Pinto de Carvalho

  Universidade de São Paulo

  33 shared

• Monowarul Mobin Siddique

  University of Utah

  30 shared

• Prasoona Karra

  Dartmouth College

  29 shared

Labs

• Summers and Holland Investigational TeamPI

Education

• Postdoctoral, Medicine

  University of Pennsylvania

  1999

• Ph.D., Physiology

  Southern Illinois University

  1995

• BS, Biochemistry

  Indiana University

  1989

Similar researchers at University of Utah

• Russell Richardsonh-81
• Kelly Tappendenh-50