Professor Ian Clarke BSc, PhD

Professor of Molecular Microbiology/Virology

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Ian Clarke was appointed to the Chair of Molecular Microbiology/Virology in 1998. He graduated in Microbiology from the University of Leeds in 1979 and completed his PhD in Molecular Virology at the University of Warwick in 1982 studying genomic variation in rotaviruses. He worked as a research scientist in the food industry before appointment to a ‘new blood lectureship’ at the University of Southampton in 1984. Subsequently he has held various positions at Southampton including Director of Division and is currently head of the Molecular Microbiology group.

Ian leads a research team that is interested in host-pathogen interactions with special emphasis on intracellular pathogens and diseases for which there are currently no effective vaccines. He has particular focus on Chlamydia and enteric viruses. The Chlamydia research group is specialized in chlamydial molecular biology, genomics and evolution. In Chlamydia research Ian collaborates with Prof. Bentley Fane (BIO5 Arizona, USA), Dr. Peter Marsh (Southampton), Prof. Kyle Ramsey (Midwestern, USA), Dr. Suneeta Soni (Brighton), and Prof. Nick Thomson (Sanger, Cambridge). He is currently Chair and co – organizer of the European Society for Chlamydia Research to be held in Oxford 2016 (http://www.escr2016.co.uk/). Together with Prof. Thomson Ian has established the first global biobank of C. trachomatis isolates with matched genome sequences (http://www.chlamydiabiobank.co.uk/). Ian has also retained interests in human noroviruses with the aim of understanding their role in foodborne diseases and in developing a norovirus vaccine. The Southampton virus was the first norovirus to be characterised at the molecular level (published in Science). The group have subsequently developed the first reverse genetics system for noroviruses and the long term aim is to adapt human norovirus to growth in cell culture. Ian collaborates with Dr. Chris McCormick (Southampton) on DNA-based delivery of viral genomes, with Drs. Morgan Herod (Leeds) and Prof. Vernon Ward (Otago, NZ) on the properties of the non-structural proteins. Ian was chair of the ICTV Calicivirus study group (2009 – 2015). His research group is based within the Faculty of Medicine and comprises both clinical and non-clinical scientists with postgraduate students. Potential students, postdoctoral scientists or clinician scientists who are interested in joining his group are encouraged to contact Professor Clarke.

Qualifications

BSc, Microbiology University of Leeds (1979)
PhD, University of Warwick (1982) "Genomic variation rotaviruses"

Appointments held

2013 - present Director, sub-Division, Infection and Immunity

1999- 2013 Head, Molecular Microbiology Group

2004– 09 Director, sub-Division of Tissue, Infection and Repair

2001– 04 Director, Molecular Microbiology and Infection

1998- 01 Director, Division of Cell and Molecular Medicine