Steven Clarke facts for kids

Steven G. Clarke was born on November 19, 1949. He is an American biochemist. A biochemist studies the chemistry of living things. Dr. Clarke works at the UCLA Molecular Biology Institute. He is also a professor at the UCLA biochemistry department.

Dr. Clarke leads a research lab at UCLA. He is well-known for his work on how molecules in our bodies get damaged. He also discovered new ways our bodies fix these tiny damages. Since 1978, Dr. Clarke has been a professor at the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

His Early Life and Studies

Steven Clarke grew up in Los Angeles, California. He went to public schools in Altadena and Pasadena.

He went to Pomona College in Claremont for his first degree. He studied Chemistry and Zoology there. He graduated in 1970. While in college, he did research at the UCLA Brain Research Institute. He studied how our brains pay attention. He also worked at Glynn Research Laboratories in England. There, he studied how tiny parts of cells use amino acids.

Later, he earned his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University. He studied how proteins in cell membranes work. He also learned about important enzymes in the body. After Harvard, he went to the University of California, Berkeley. He studied how bacteria sense their surroundings.

His Research Work

Dr. Clarke's research at UCLA focuses on how special proteins called methyltransferases work. These proteins are important for how our bodies age. They also help control many body functions. He found new ways that proteins repair themselves.

He also spent time as a visiting scholar at Princeton University from 1986 to 1987. Later, he visited the University of Washington from 2004 to 2005.

Since 1990, Dr. Clarke has studied the chemistry of brains. He has also done important research on Alzheimer's disease. This disease affects memory and thinking. His work helps us understand how our brains work and how to keep them healthy.