Born in Cluj, Romania to Holocaust survivor parents, he and the family fled Communism at age 10 and lived as refugees in Italy for about a year. Arrived to USA at age 11
A graduate of Boston University Medical School, Dr. Mayer was the lead investigator and first author for a series of published research that introduced to the world peripheral thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction, a first-ever event. These procedures are commonplace today and have saved millions of lives.
After years of work in the USA as a clinician, researcher, and professor he moved to Israel where he earned two back-to-back MA degrees from the University of Haifa: Holocaust Studies and Israel Studies. He continues to research and publish in the fields of identity and peoplehood as related to sociopolitical events with a concentration in museal studies and performative aspects of academic learning, i.e. experiential learning. His expertise in museal studies and Holocaust historiography resulted in him being named Head Historian at Martef Hashoah Museum in Jerusalem [2015-2018]
In February 2018, according to Academia.edu, he was ranked in the top 1% of researchers worldwide As a way of introducing the whole picture, some other facts need mention.
During 1989, Dr. Mayer returned to his native birthplace [Cluj, Romania] and was a prominent figure in the 1989 Romanian Revolution.
He was for two decades an accomplished triathlete, competing at elite international levels. He competed in three World Triathlon Championships and completed multiple Ironman Triathlons in places ranging from China to New Zealand and Canada to Europe; in addition, a mention needs to be made of the 44 marathons he completed