Catherine Clarke, professor of biochemistry in the UCLA College, was awarded a $100,000 research grant from the Barth Syndrome Foundation to study lipid replacement therapy.
Barth syndrome is a condition characterized by an enlarged and weakened heart, muscle weakness and recurrent infections due to low numbers of white blood cells. The two-year grant will allow Clarke and her team to use chemically modified lipids to reduce the amount of cellular damage caused by the condition. If successful, the therapy could protect cells against the stress conditions known to exist in people with Barth syndrome.
Clarke has been faculty since 1993, and was appointed the first female chair of the department of chemistry and biochemistry in 2016. She is also the recipient of the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award and the Hanson-Dow Award for teaching excellence.