Professor Catherine Clarke has been named the new chair of the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, effective July 1. She is the first woman to be selected as chair of the department.
Physical sciences Dean Joseph Rudnick said of Clarke, “She brings commitment, an unwavering set of principles and a deep sense of humanity to this most crucial position. I am confident that she will provide inspired leadership to the department.”
Clarke earned her B.S. and Ph.D. in biochemistry at UCLA and, afterwards, conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton University. She has been a UCLA faculty member in the department since 1993, and a full professor since 2002. She is a recipient of the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award and the Hanson-Dow Award for Teaching Excellence.
Clarke served her department as general chemistry adviser and biochemistry graduate student adviser before becoming vice chair for undergraduate education in July 2015. She will succeed current chair Miguel Garcia-Garibay, who succeeds Rudnick as dean of the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences.
Clarke conducts research on coenzyme Q, an essential lipid component in cellular energy metabolism. She employs a combination of molecular genetics, biochemistry, and lipid chemistry to delineate the biosynthetic steps responsible for the production of Q, as well as to investigate its function as an antioxidant. Her research team identified nine out of the 11 coenzyme Q polypeptides needed for Q biosynthesis, and showed they form a multi-subunit biosynthetic complex or CoQ-synthome. Her research may produce a better understanding of how coenzyme Q can be modulated for optimal health. Learn more about her research at her website.