The lab members (minus Dr. Clark) attended the 2019 Texas Protein Folding and Function conference in Cleveland, Texas. The mid-April meeting usually means very nice weather in Texas, and the conference is held in idyllic setting. Great talks on proteins and opportunities for students to network.
Suman presented his work on the evolution of caspase folding landscapes:
Suman – Texas Protein Folding and Function 2019
Slideshow of the weekend conference:
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Dr. Clark and two graduate students – Liqi Yao and Suman Shrestha – attended the 2019 ASBMB conference in Orlando, Florida in May. The lab presented new results on coral caspase structures, the evolution of enzyme specificity, and the evolution of caspase folding landscapes.
We made some new friends:
And we saw a former lab member: Dr. Kakoli Bose:
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Welcome to the Clark Lab website. We study protein evolution using caspases as a model system. Caspases are integral proteases in cell development and in programmed cell death (apoptosis). The dysregulation of apoptosis is observed in a number of human diseases, from autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes), to neurodegenerative diseases, to cancer.
About 2.5 million deaths are registered in the US each year (www.cdc.gov). Heart disease and cancer account for about half of the deaths. The impact of chronic diseases (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer) on healthcare costs approaches $750 billion per year. Anticancer drugs are effective at inducing apoptosis by a variety of mechanisms because cancer cells are known to evade pro-apoptotic signals when compared to normal cells. Our goal is to understand how unique characteristics of caspase enzymes evolved to provide discrete cellular functions and how the enzymes are regulated under normal versus aberrant cellular conditions. Specific projects are described on the Research page.
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I’ve been remiss in updating news on this site. I’m pleased to say that three members of the lab have graduated with PhD. Dr. Joseph Maciag, Dr. Melvin Thomas, and, most recently, Dr. Robert (Bob) Grinshpon. Congratulations to Joe, Melvin, and Bob, and thanks for the work they put into helping the lab move from North Carolina to Texas. Check out the Publications page to read their papers.
Dr. Joseph Maciag
Joe is now a post-doc at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Dr. Melvin Thomas III
Melvin is now a post-doc at St. Jude
Dr. Robert (Bob) Grinshpon
Bob will be looking for opportunities in industry after a tour of Europe
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Dear Colleagues,
We consider that diversity is one of the major strengths of the Biology department. The community of faculty, staff, and students is inclusive and welcoming to everyone, regardless of nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We are committed to maintaining our diversity and fostering a supportive, collegial, and collaborative environment where everyone recognizes their importance as part of our team. We understand that our international students could have chosen to attend graduate programs anywhere in the world, but they chose to move here to UTA. We want to affirm that we stand with them in this time of uncertainty, and we will help in any way that we can to assist them in navigating the new policies. Our doors are always open to hear your concerns.
Regards,
Clay Clark, Professor and Chair
Laura Mydlarz, Associate Professor and Associate Chair
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The University of Texas at Arlington has announced five speakers in the Maverick Speaker Series for the 2015-2016 academic year.
MAVERICK SPEAKERS SERIES Schedule
Mia Farrow – “What Falls Away: One Woman’s Journey to Fulfillment” Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Texas Hall – Tickets available Sept. 8, 2015
Daymond John – “Daymond John on Shark Tank Entrepreneurship” Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, 7:30 p.m. College Park Center – Tickets available Oct. 6, 2015
Ron Paul – “Liberty Defined: The Future of Freedom” Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Texas Hall – Tickets available Jan. 5, 2016
Donna Brazile – “Donna Brazile: Politics and Beyond” Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, 7:30 p.m. Texas Hall – Tickets available Jan. 19,
Jane Goodall – “Gombe and Beyond: An Evening with Dr. Jane Goodall” Thursday, March 31, 2016, 7:30 p.m. College Park Center – Tickets available March 1, 2016
More information is available here.
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This site will be up and running soon. Check back in July for blogs on Biochemical and Biological research, among other things.
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QB Blog 