Duncan Clarke

Duncan Clarke serves as a Professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development within the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota.

His research centers on the precise regulation of chromosome segregation during cell division—a fundamental process whose failure causes cancer and birth defects. He investigates DNA Topoisomerase II, an essential mitotic enzyme, exploring how aberrant activity triggers checkpoint mechanisms that malfunction in cancer cells. His lab pioneers strategies to exploit checkpoint gene mutations in metastatic cancer cells for targeted elimination, utilizing integrated approaches including yeast genetics, human cell genome engineering, and live-cell imaging of mitosis.