Robert Clarke

Robert Clarke serves as Executive Director of The Hormel Institute and Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota, following his tenure as Dean for Research at Georgetown University Medical Center from 2011-2019. After earning his PhD and DSc in Biochemistry from The Queen's University of Belfast, he established himself as an internationally recognized expert in breast cancer research, focusing on hormone-related mechanisms and drug resistance. His research employs systems biology approaches to understand how breast cancers respond to various therapies, leading to over 340 publications and two edited books. During his time at Georgetown, he held multiple leadership positions including Associate Vice President of Georgetown University Medical Center, Director of the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, and co-Director of the Breast Cancer Program at the Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. His scientific impact is evidenced through his fellowships in multiple prestigious societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Society of Medicine, and Royal Society of Biology. He has led major research initiatives including an NCI-funded Center for Cancer Systems Biology and an In Silico Research Center of Excellence, while maintaining extensive involvement in NIH study sections and editorial boards of leading cancer journals.