Robert Clarke, PhD, DSc is an internationally recognized leader in breast cancer research. Dr. Clarke is the Dean for Research and Professor of Oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center. His research interests include understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving antiestrogen resistance and hormone independence in breast cancer.
He also is interested in drug resistance (cytotoxic, endocrine), drug/hormone interactions, and the application of molecular profiling (e.g., transcriptome, proteome, tissue array analyses) to predict breast cancer phenotypes and identify functionally relevant gene signaling networks. As an expert in cancer systems biology, Dr. Clarke leads several multinational molecular medicine studies in breast cancer, in collaboration with colleagues at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Tech, and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He has served as chair of peer-review study sections for NIH and the Department of Defense, and currently serves on the editorial boards of over a dozen international peer review journals. Dr. Clarke is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology in the U.K.
Selected Publications
- Xiyuan Zhang, Katherine L. Cook, Anni Warri, Idalia M. Cruz, Mariana Rosim, Jeffrey Riskin, William Helferich, Daniel Doerge, Robert Clarke And Leena Hilakivi-clarke. “Lifetime Genistein Intake Increases The Response Of Mammary Tumors To Tamoxifen In Rats.” Clinical Cancer Research, 23, 3 (February 1, 2017): 814-824. 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-1735.
- Xu Shi, Sharmi Banerjee, Li Chen, Leena Hilakivi-clarke, Robert Clarke And Jianhua Xuan. “Cynetsvm: A Cytoscape App For Cancer Biomarker Identification Using Network Constrained Support Vector Machines.” Plos One, 12, 1 (January 25, 2017): e0170482. 10.1371/journal.pone.0170482.
- Xiao Wang, Jinghua Gu, Leena Hilakivi-clarke, Robert Clarke And Jianhua Xuan. “Dm-bld: Differential Methylation Detection Using A Hierarchical Bayesian Model Exploiting Local Dependency.” Bioinformatics, 33, 2 (January 15, 2017): 161-168. 10.1093/bioinformatics/btw596.
- Xiao Wang, Jinghua Gu, Leena Hilakivi-clarke, Robert Clarke And Jianhua Xuan. “Dm-bld: Differential Methylation Detection Using A Hierarchical Bayesian Model Exploiting Local Dependency.” Bioinformatics, 33, 2 (January 15, 2017): 161-168. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btw596.
- Leena Hilakivi-clarke, Anni Wärri, Kerrie B. Bouker, Xiyuan Zhang, Katherine L. Cook, Lu Jin, Alan Zwart, Nguyen Nguyen, Rong Hu, M. Idalia Cruz, Sonia De Assis, Xiao Wang, Jason Xuan, Yue Wang, Bryan Wehrenberg And Robert Clarke. “Effects Of In Utero Exposure To Ethinyl Estradiol On Tamoxifen Resistance And Breast Cancer Recurrence In A Preclinical Model.” Journal Of The National Cancer Institute, 109, 1 (January 2017): djw188. 10.1093/jnci/djw188.
- Xi Chen, Xu Shi, Leena Hilakivi-clarke, Ayesha N. Shajahan-haq, Robert Clarke And Jianhua Xuan. “Pssv: A Novel Pattern-based Probabilistic Approach For Somatic Structural Variation Identification.” Bioinformatics, 33, 2 (January 15, 2017): 177-183. 10.1093/bioinformatics/btw605.
- Krithika Bhuvaneshwar, Anas Belouali, Varun Singh, Robert M. Johnson, Lei Song, Adil Alaoui, Michael A. Harris, Robert Clarke, Louis M. Weiner, Yuriy Gusev And Subha Madhavan. “G-doc Plus – An Integrative Bioinformatics Platform For Precision Medicine.” Bmc Bioinformatics, 17, 1 (December 2016): 10.1186/s12859-016-1010-0.
- Katherine L. Cook, David R. Soto-pantoja, Pamela A.g. Clarke, M. Idalia Cruz, Alan Zwart, Anni Wärri, Leena Hilakivi-clarke, David D. Roberts And Robert Clarke. “Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Protein Grp78 Modulates Lipid Metabolism To Control Drug Sensitivity And Antitumor Immunity In Breast Cancer.” Cancer Research, 76, 19 (October 1, 2016): 5657-5670. 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-2616.
- Allison Sumis, Katherine L Cook, Fabia O Andrade, Rong Hu, Emma Kidney, Xiyuan Zhang, Dominic Kim, Elissa Carney, Nguyen Nguyen, Wei Yu, Kerrie B Bouker, Idalia Cruz, Robert Clarke And Leena Hilakivi-clarke. “Social Isolation Induces Autophagy In The Mouse Mammary Gland: Link To Increased Mammary Cancer Risk.” Endocrine-related Cancer, 23, 10(October 2016): 839-856. 10.1530/ERC-16-0359.
- Y. Ma, A. Preet, Y. Tomita, E. Oliveira, R. Clarke, M. Brown & E. Rosen. “A New Class Of Small Molecule Estrogen Receptor-alpha Antagonists That Overcome Anti-estrogen Resistance.”Oncotarget, 6 (November 29, 2015): 40388–40404. https://dx.doi.org/10.18632%2Foncotarget.6323.
- Isamu Sakabe, Rong Hu, Lu Jin, Robert Clarke And Usha N. Kasid. “TMEM33: A New Stress-inducible Endoplasmic Reticulum Transmembrane Protein And Modulator Of The Unfolded Protein Response Signaling.” Breast Cancer Research And Treatment, 153, 2 (September 2015): 285-297. 10.1007/s10549-015-3536-7.
- Katherine L. Cook And Robert Clarke. “Abstract 1257: In Vivo Inhibition Of Grp78 Potentiates Antiestrogen Therapy Effectiveness In Er+ Breast Tumors.” Cancer Research, 75, 15 Supplement (August 1, 2015): 1257-1257. 10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1257.
- Katherine L Cook And Robert Clarke. “Overcoming Cancer Resistance.” Future Medicinal Chemistry, 7, 12 (August 2015): 1471-1471. https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.15.113.
- Katherine L Cook And Robert Clarke. “Role Of Grp78 In Promoting Therapeutic-resistant Breast Cancer.” Future Medicinal Chemistry, 7, 12 (August 2015): 1529-1534.10.4155/FMC.15.80.
- Xu Shi, Robert O. Barnes, Li Chen, Ayesha N. Shajahan-haq, Leena Hilakivi-clarke, Robert Clarke, Yue Wang And Jianhua Xuan. “Bmrf-net: A Software Tool For Identification Of Protein Interaction Subnetworks By A Bagging Markov Random Field-based Method: Fig. 1..” Bioinformatics, 31, 14 (July 15, 2015): 2412-2414. 10.1093/bioinformatics/btv137.
- G Rajapaksa, F Nikolos, I Bado, R Clarke, J-å Gustafsson And C Thomas. “Er? Decreases Breast Cancer Cell Survival By Regulating The Ire1/xbp-1 Pathway.” Oncogene, 34, 31 (July 30, 2015): 4130-4141. 10.1038/onc.2014.343.
- Kathryn Sandberg, Jason G. Umans And the Georgetown Consensus Conference Work Group. “Recommendations Concerning The New U.s. National Institutes Of Health Initiative To Balance The Sex Of Cells And Animals In Preclinical Research.” The Faseb Journal, 29, 5 (May 2015): 1646-1652. 10.1096/fj.14-269548.
- I Tavassoly, J Parmar, An Shajahan-haq, R Clarke, Wt Baumann And Jj Tyson. “Dynamic Modeling Of The Interaction Between Autophagy And Apoptosis In Mammalian Cells.” Cpt: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology, 4, 4 (April 2015): 263-272. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fpsp4.29.
- Surojeet Sengupta, Michael C. Biarnes, Robert Clarke And V. Craig Jordan. “Inhibition Of Bet Proteins Impairs Estrogen-mediated Growth And Transcription In Breast Cancers By Pausing Rna Polymerase Advancement.” Breast Cancer Research And Treatment, 150, 2 (April 2015): 265-278. 10.1007/s10549-015-3319-1.
- Anh Thu Tran, Malathi Ramalinga, Habib Kedir, Robert Clarke And Deepak Kumar. “Autophagy Inhibitor 3-methyladenine Potentiates Apoptosis Induced By Dietary Tocotrienols In Breast Cancer Cells.” European Journal Of Nutrition, 54, 2 (March 2015): 265-272. 10.1007/s00394-014-0707-y.
- J. L. Schwartz-roberts, K. L. Cook, C. Chen, A. N. Shajahan-haq, M. Axelrod, A. Warri, R. B. Riggins, L. Jin, B. R. Haddad, B. V. Kallakury, W. T. Baumann And R. Clarke. “Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 Signaling Regulates The Switch Between Autophagy And Apoptosis To Determine Breast Cancer Cell Fate.” Cancer Research, 75, 6 (March 15, 2015): 1046-1055.10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-1851.
- Ayesha Shajahan-haq, Mehar Cheema And Robert Clarke. “Application Of Metabolomics In Drug Resistant Breast Cancer Research.” Metabolites, 5, 1 (February 16, 2015): 100-118.http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/metabo5010100.
- Rong Hu, Leena Hilakivi-clarke And Robert Clarke. “Molecular Mechanisms Of Tamoxifen-associated Endometrial Cancer (review).” Oncology Letters, 9 (February 12, 2015): 1495-1501.https://dx.doi.org/10.3892%2Fol.2015.2962.
- Sarah A. Dabydeen, Keunsoo Kang, Edgar S. Díaz-cruz, Ahmad Alamri, Margaret L. Axelrod, Kerrie B. Bouker, Rawan Al-kharboosh, Robert Clarke, Lothar Hennighausen And Priscilla A. Furth. “Comparison Of Tamoxifen And Letrozole Response In Mammary Preneoplasia Of Er And Aromatase Overexpressing Mice Defines An Immune-associated Gene Signature Linked To Tamoxifen Resistance.” Carcinogenesis, 36, 1 (January 2015): 122-132. 10.1093/carcin/bgu237.