Jane Clarke (scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Clarke
FRS FRSC FMedSci
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Clarke in 2015
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| Born |
Jane Morgan
10 September 1950 London, England
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| Alma mater | |
| Spouse(s) |
Christopher Clarke
(m. 1973) |
| Awards | US Genomics Award (2010) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Studies of Disulphide Mutants of Barnase (1993) |
| Doctoral advisor | Alan Fersht |
Jane Clarke (born Jane Morgan in 1950) is a famous British scientist. She studies how tiny parts of living things, called proteins, work. Since 2017, she has been the President of Wolfson College, Cambridge. She is also a Professor at the University of Cambridge. Her work helps us understand how proteins fold correctly.
Contents
Early Life and Learning Journey
Jane Clarke was born in London, England, on September 10, 1950. She loved science from a young age.
Starting Her Education
She went to the University of York. In 1972, she earned a top degree in biochemistry. This is the study of the chemical processes in living things. After that, she trained to be a teacher.
From Teacher to Scientist
From 1973 to 1986, Jane taught science in high schools. She even became the Head of Science at one school. In 1973, she married Christopher Clarke. They had a son and a daughter.
Her family moved to the United States. Jane couldn't teach there without new qualifications. So, she decided to learn more about science. In 1990, she earned a Master's degree in applied biology. This experience made her want to become a research scientist. She then earned her PhD in 1993 from the University of Cambridge. Her research was about a protein called Barnase.
Discovering How Proteins Work
Jane Clarke is a top expert in protein folding. Proteins are like tiny machines in our bodies. They need to fold into the right shape to work. If they fold incorrectly, it can cause diseases.
Important Research Roles
In 2001, she became a Senior Research Fellow. This means she got funding to do important research. In 2009, she became a Professor of Molecular Biophysics. This title shows her high level of expertise. In 2017, she became the President of Wolfson College, Cambridge. This is a big leadership role at the university.
What Jane Clarke Studies
Her research focuses on how proteins fold. She looks at:
- How similar proteins fold in different ways.
- How large proteins with many parts fold correctly.
- Proteins that don't have a fixed shape. She studies how they still do their jobs.
Her work has been supported by major science groups. These include the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council.
Key Scientific Papers
Jane Clarke has written over 100 scientific papers. These papers share her discoveries with other scientists. Some of her important works include:
- A paper in 2015 about how proteins interact very quickly.
- A 2011 study on how single protein molecules can misfold.
- A 2008 review about studying protein folding one molecule at a time.
- A 2007 article on how multi-part proteins fold and change over time.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Jane Clarke has received many awards for her amazing work.
Honours for Her Discoveries
In 2010, she won the US Genomics Award. This award recognized her outstanding research. She was also made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2013. This means she is a leading chemist. In the same year, she became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This honour is for top medical scientists.
Her nomination for the Academy of Medical Sciences said she is known for her studies on protein folding. She was praised for using special techniques to understand how force affects proteins. She was the first non-US person and the only woman to receive the US Genomics Award at that time.
In 2015, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honours for a scientist in the UK. Her election certificate highlighted her work on protein folding and misfolding. It noted her discoveries about how proteins change shape. Her research has greatly improved our understanding of proteins.
In 2021, she shared her career story on the BBC Radio 4 show The Life Scientific.
