User:David C. Clarke

Contact Info



 * David C. Clarke
 * Postdoctoral Research Associate
 * Lauffenburger Lab
 * Department of Biological Engineering
 * Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * 77 Massachusetts Ave.
 * Cambridge, MA, 02139
 * USA
 * 617-324-5671
 * Email me through OpenWetWare
 * 617-324-5671
 * Email me through OpenWetWare
 * Email me through OpenWetWare

Education

 * 2008, Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder (Chemical engineering)
 * 2002, M.Sc., University of Waterloo (Kinesiology)
 * 2000, B.Sc., Laurentian University (Kinesiology)

Research interests

 * 1) Quantitative analysis of mammalian cellular signaling systems
 * 2) Statistical properties of systems biology data
 * 3) Athletic performance engineering

My training is in kinesiology and chemical/biological engineering. My kinesiology background is rooted in a passion for sport and exposed me to the physiological sciences. My knowledge and skills in investigating physiology were in turn greatly enhanced by my engineering education that emphasized applied physical chemistry and mathematical modeling. I seek to integrate my diverse background into a research program that spans cellular to whole organism levels.

Postdoctoral research
Quantifying context-dependent signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Context-dependent signaling is a principle that is commonly cited as a reason for why cells respond differently to stimuli applied under different conditions. However, the precise nature by which different contexts alter the quantitative signaling properties of cells has not been fully explored. My studies involve identifying and quantifying the changes in hepatocellular carcinoma cell phenotypes that accompany changes in the cells' environment. Because the environment is constantly changing over time, I am particularly interested in the accompanying dynamics of the phenotype changes. The data from my studies will hopefully further our understanding of how cells process information, which in turn will enable us to learn how to better control their behavior.

Publications
// leave a comment about a paper here
 * 1) Paper1 pmid=19223462
 * 2) Paper2 pmid=18706811
 * 3) Paper3 pmid=17452325
 * 4) Paper4 pmid=17186703
 * 5) Paper5 pmid=14694205
 * 1) Book1 isbn=

Teaching interests

 * 1) Experimental design, statistics and research practice in molecular and systems biology
 * 2) Cellular signaling and biology
 * 3) Exercise physiology and athletic performance engineering

Courses taught
Athletic Performance Engineering. Jan 22-23, 2010. Massachusetts Institute of Technology IAP Period. Co-taught with Philip F. Skiba This course presents a quantitative approach to athletic training and performance. In the first class, we will discuss basic exercise physiology and the principles of training and periodization, followed by motivating the need for an engineering approach to training plan design. In the second class, we will discuss the quantification and modeling of training data to predict performance. Case studies from world champion professional athletes will be presented. While this course is geared towards endurance sport performance, the principles apply to many other sports.

Useful links

 * Introductory tutorial
 * OpenWetWare help pages