Amander Clark, Ph.D.

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A Short Biography:

Amander Clark is a stem cell scientist, geneticist and developmetal biologist who is developing enabling technology for human in vitro gametogenesis (IVG); a tool for understanding and treating human infertility.  In 2006, Dr. Clark joined the UCLA faculty as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology (MCDB).  In 2012 she was awarded Associate Professor with tenure and in 2013 was appointed Vice Chair of the MCDB Department.  In 2015, Dr. Clark was promoted to Professor, and between 2017- 2022 she served as Department Chair of MCDB.  Dr Clark is currently the inaugural Director of the UCLA Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education and President-elect of the International Society for Stem Cell Reserach.  Dr. Clark earned her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Melbourne.  She trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine in genetics, and the University of California, San Francisco in stem cell biology. Dr Clark's laboratory studies the origins of the human germline with an emphasis on chromatin, epigenetic reprogramming and inheritance which informs her reserach on IVG. Her lab uses CRISPR/Cas9, next generation sequencing, pluripotent stem cells and mouse models to meet her research goals. The laboratory's long-term research objective is to understand the fundamental principles of human germline cell formation in vivo and in vitro towards the genesis of high quality gametes and the birth of healthy children.

Work Titles
UCLA Member, Cell & Developmental Biology GPB Home Area Member, Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research Member, Genetics & Genomics GPB Home Area Member, JCCC Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program Area
Education:
Degrees:
Ph.D.

Contact Information:

Email Address:

clarka@ucla.edu


Website:

Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education
Publications
Lab Web Page

Work Phone Number:

794 4201

Office Address:

615 Charles E Young Drive South
Box 951606
Los Angeles, CA 90095

BSRB II 490 B


Detailed Biography:

Professor Amander Clark PhD is a stem cell scientist, geneticist and developmental biologist who is internationally recognized for her work on the germline and in vitro gametogenesis.  Professor Clark has authored over one hundred research articles, and is regularly invited to speak on the use of stem cells to understand fertility and infertility.  Professor Clark’s research is supported by grants from the National Institute of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.  Her work was previously funded by the Templeton Foundation and the LucaBella Foundation.  Professor Clark’s work has been recognized by Awards from the International Society for Stem Cell Research, STOP Cancer, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Concern Foundation, as well as several prominent named lectureships from National and International Scientific and Medical Societies including the Founder's Medal from the Australian and New Zealand Society for Reproductive Biology.  Professor Clark was recruited to UCLA in 2006, awarded tenure in 2012, and became Department Chair of the Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA in 2017. Professor Clark is currently the inaugural Director of the Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education at UCLA, and President-Elect of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, a global non-profit that promotes excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health.

Publications:

A selected list of publications:

Lowe Matthew G, Yen Ming-Ren, Hsu Fei-Man, Hosohama Linzi, Hu Zhongxun, Chitiashvili Tsotne, Hunt Timothy J, Gorgy Isaac, Bernard Matthew, Wamaitha Sissy E, Chen Pao-Yang, Clark Amander T   EED is required for mouse primordial germ cell differentiation in the embryonic gonad Developmental cell, 2022; 57(12): 1482-1495.e5.
Chitiashvili Tsotne, Hsu Fei-Man, Dror Iris, Plath Kathrin, Clark Amander   FGFR3 is expressed by human primordial germ cells and is repressed after meiotic initiation to form primordial oocytes Stem cell reports, 2022; 17(6): 1268-1278.
Xiang Xinyu, Tao Yu, DiRusso Jonathan, Hsu Fei-Man, Zhang Jinchun, Xue Ziwei, Pontis Julien, Trono Didier, Liu Wanlu, Clark Amander T   Human reproduction is regulated by retrotransposons derived from ancient Hominidae-specific viral infections Nature communications, 2022; 13(1): 463.
Pandolfi Erica C, Sosa Enrique, Hunt Timothy J, Goldsmith Sierra, Hurlbut Kellie, Silber Sherman J, Clark Amander T   Generation of six human induced pluripotent stem cell sublines (MZT01E, MZT01F, MZT01N and MZT02D, MZT02G and MZT02H) for reproductive science research Stem cell research, 2021; 51: 102204.
Clark Amander T, Brivanlou Ali, Fu Jianping, Kato Kazuto, Mathews Debra, Niakan Kathy K, Rivron Nicolas, Saitou Mitinori, Surani Azim, Tang Fuchou, Rossant Janet   Human embryo research, stem cell-derived embryo models and in vitro gametogenesis: Considerations leading to the revised ISSCR guidelines Stem cell reports, 2021; 16(6): 1416-1424.
Lovell-Badge Robin, Anthony Eric, Barker Roger A, Bubela Tania, Brivanlou Ali H, Carpenter Melissa, Charo R Alta, Clark Amander, Clayton Ellen, Cong Yali, Daley George Q, Fu Jianping, Fujita Misao, Greenfield Andy, Goldman Steve A, Hill Lori, Hyun Insoo, Isasi Rosario, Kahn Jeffrey, Kato Kazuto, Kim Jin-Soo, Kimmelman Jonathan, Knoblich Jürgen A, Mathews Debra, Montserrat Nuria, Mosher Jack, Munsie Megan, Nakauchi Hiromitsu, Naldini Luigi, Naughton Gail, Niakan Kathy, Ogbogu Ubaka, Pedersen Roger, Rivron Nicolas, Rooke Heather, Rossant Janet, Round Jeff, Saitou Mitinori, Sipp Douglas, Steffann Julie, Sugarman Jeremy, Surani Azim, Takahashi Jun, Tang Fuchou, Turner Leigh, Zettler Patricia J, Zhai Xiaomei   ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation: The 2021 update Stem cell reports, 2021; 16(6): 1398-1408.
Hancock Grace V, Wamaitha Sissy E, Peretz Lior, Clark Amander T   Mammalian primordial germ cell specification Development (Cambridge, England), 2021; 148(6): .
Shetty Gunapala, Mitchell Jennifer M, Lam Truong N A, Phan Thien T, Zhang Jie, Tailor Ramesh C, Peters Karen A, Penedo Maria Cecilia, Hanna Carol B, Clark Amander T, Orwig Kyle E, Meistrich Marvin L   Postpubertal spermatogonial stem cell transplantation restores functional sperm production in rhesus monkeys irradiated before and after puberty Andrology, 2021; 9(5): 1603-1616.
Guo Jingtao, Sosa Enrique, Chitiashvili Tsotne, Nie Xichen, Rojas Ernesto Javier, Oliver Elizabeth, Oliver Elizabeth, Plath Kathrin, Hotaling James M, Stukenborg Jan-Bernd, Clark Amander T, Cairns Bradley R   Single-cell analysis of the developing human testis reveals somatic niche cell specification and fetal germline stem cell establishment Cell stem cell, 2021; 16(1): 1-2.
Desai Varsha P, Chouaref Jihed, Wu Haoyu, Pastor William A, Kan Ryan L, Oey Harald M, Li Zheng, Ho Jamie, Vonk Kelly K D, San Leon Granado David, Christopher Michael A, Clark Amander T, Jacobsen Steven E, Daxinger Lucia   The role of MORC3 in silencing transposable elements in mouse embryonic stem cells Epigenetics & chromatin, 2021; 14(1): 49.
Gell Joanna J, Liu Wanlu, Sosa Enrique, Chialastri Alex, Hancock Grace, Tao Yu, Wamaitha Sissy E, Bower Grace, Dey Siddharth S, Clark Amander T   An Extended Culture System that Supports Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cell Survival and Initiation of DNA Methylation Erasure Stem cell reports, 2020; 14(3): 433-446.
Chitiashvili Tsotne, Dror Iris, Kim Rachel, Hsu Fei-Man, Chaudhari Rohan, Pandolfi Erica, Chen Di, Liebscher Simone, Schenke-Layland Katja, Plath Kathrin, Clark Amander   Female human primordial germ cells display X-chromosome dosage compensation despite the absence of X-inactivation Nature cell biology, 2020; 22(12): 1436-1446.
Liu Xiaodong, Ouyang John F, Rossello Fernando J, Tan Jia Ping, Davidson Kathryn C, Valdes Daniela S, Schröder Jan, Sun Yu B Y, Chen Joseph, Knaupp Anja S, Sun Guizhi, Chy Hun S, Huang Ziyi, Pflueger Jahnvi, Firas Jaber, Tano Vincent, Buckberry Sam, Paynter Jacob M, Larcombe Michael R, Poppe Daniel, Choo Xin Yi, O'Brien Carmel M, Pastor William A, Chen Di, Leichter Anna L, Naeem Haroon, Tripathi Pratibha, Das Partha P, Grubman Alexandra, Powell David R, Laslett Andrew L, David Laurent, Nilsson Susan K, Clark Amander T, Lister Ryan, Nefzger Christian M, Martelotto Luciano G, Rackham Owen J L, Polo Jose M   Reprogramming roadmap reveals route to human induced trophoblast stem cells Nature, 2020; 586(7827): 101-107.
Chen Di, Sun Na, Hou Lei, Kim Rachel, Faith Jared, Aslanyan Marianna, Tao Yu, Zheng Yi, Fu Jianping, Liu Wanlu, Kellis Manolis, Clark Amander   Human Primordial Germ Cells Are Specified from Lineage-Primed Progenitors Cell reports, 2019; 29(13): 4568-4582.e5.
Clark Amander T   Human embryo implantation modelled in microfluidic channels Nature, 2019; 573(7774): 350-351.
Sosa Enrique, Chen Di, Rojas Ernesto J, Hennebold Jon D, Peters Karen A, Wu Zhuang, Lam Truong N, Mitchell Jennifer M, Sukhwani Meena, Tailor Ramesh C, Meistrich Marvin L, Orwig Kyle E, Shetty Gunapala, Clark Amander T   Differentiation of primate primordial germ cell-like cells following transplantation into the adult gonadal niche Nature communications, 2018; 9(1): 5339.
Chen Di, Clark Amander T   Mitochondrial DNA selection in human germ cells Nature cell biology, 2018; 20(2): 118-120.
Gell Joanna J, Clark Amander T   Restoring Fertility with Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Are We There Yet? Cell stem cell, 2018; 23(6): 777-779.
Pastor William A, Liu Wanlu, Chen Di, Ho Jamie, Kim Rachel, Hunt Timothy J, Lukianchikov Anastasia, Liu Xiaodong, Polo Jose M, Jacobsen Steven E, Clark Amander T   TFAP2C regulates transcription in human naive pluripotency by opening enhancers Nature cell biology, 2018; 20(5): 553-564.
Tao Yu, Yen Ming-Ren, Chitiashvili Tsotne, Nakano Haruko, Kim Rachel, Hosohama Linzi, Tan Yao Chang, Nakano Atsushi, Chen Pao-Yang, Clark Amander T   TRIM28-Regulated Transposon Repression Is Required for Human Germline Competency and Not Primed or Naive Human Pluripotency Stem cell reports, 2018; 10(1): 243-256.
Chen Di, Liu Wanlu, Zimmerman Jill, Pastor William A, Kim Rachel, Hosohama Linzi, Ho Jamie, Aslanyan Marianna, Gell Joanna J, Jacobsen Steven E, Clark Amander T   The TFAP2C-Regulated OCT4 Naive Enhancer Is Involved in Human Germline Formation Cell reports, 2018; 25(13): 3591-3602.e5.
Chen Di, Liu Wanlu, Lukianchikov Anastasia, Hancock Grace V, Zimmerman Jill, Lowe Matthew G, Kim Rachel, Galic Zoran, Irie Naoko, Surani M Azim, Jacobsen Steven E, Clark Amander T   Germline competency of human embryonic stem cells depends on eomesodermin Biology of reproduction, 2017; 97(6): 850-861.
Chen Di, Gell Joanna J, Tao Yu, Sosa Enrique, Clark Amander T   Modeling human infertility with pluripotent stem cells Stem cell research, 2017; 21(1): 187-192.
Clark Amander T, Gkountela Sofia, Chen Di, Liu Wanlu, Sosa Enrique, Sukhwani Meena, Hennebold Jon D, Orwig Kyle E   Primate Primordial Germ Cells Acquire Transplantation Potential by Carnegie Stage 23 Stem cell reports, 2017; 9(1): 329-341.
Pastor William A, Chen Di, Liu Wanlu, Kim Rachel, Sahakyan Anna, Lukianchikov Anastasia, Plath Kathrin, Jacobsen Steven E, Clark Amander T   Naive Human Pluripotent Cells Feature a Methylation Landscape Devoid of Blastocyst or Germline Memory Cell stem cell, 2016; 18(3): 323-9.
Gkountela Sofia, Zhang Kelvin X, Shafiq Tiasha A, Liao Wen-Wei, Hargan-Calvopiña Joseph, Chen Pao-Yang, Clark Amander T   DNA Demethylation Dynamics in the Human Prenatal Germline Cell, 2015; 161(6): 1425-36.
Hsu Fei-Man, Clark Amander, Chen Pao-Yang   Epigenetic reprogramming in the mammalian germline Oncotarget, 2015; 6(34): 35151-2.
Gkountela Sofia, Li Ziwei, Vincent John J, Zhang Kelvin X, Chen Angela, Pellegrini Matteo, Clark Amander T   The ontogeny of cKIT+ human primordial germ cells proves to be a resource for human germ line reprogramming, imprint erasure and in vitro differentiation Nature cell biology, 2013; 15(1): 113-22.
Clark Amander T, Phillips Bart T, Orwig Kyle E   Fruitful progress to fertility: male fertility in the test tube Nature medicine, 2011; 17(12): 1564-5.
Chodavarapu Ramakrishna K, Feng Suhua, Bernatavichute Yana V, Chen Pao-Yang, Stroud Hume, Yu Yanchun, Hetzel Jonathan A, Kuo Frank, Kim Jin, Cokus Shawn J, Casero David, Bernal Maria, Huijser Peter, Clark Amander T, Krämer Ute, Merchant Sabeeha S, Zhang Xiaoyu, Jacobsen Steven E, Pellegrini Matteo   Relationship between nucleosome positioning and DNA methylation Nature, 2010; 466(7304): 388-92.
Lowry, WE., Richter, L,. Yachechko, R., Pyle, AD., Tshieu, J., Sridharan, R., Clark, AT., Plath, K   Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells from dermal fibroblasts, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008; 105(8): 2883-2888.
Bostick Magnolia, Kim Jong Kyong, Estève Pierre-Olivier, Clark Amander, Pradhan Sriharsa, Jacobsen Steven E   UHRF1 plays a role in maintaining DNA methylation in mammalian cells Science (New York, N.Y.), 2007; 317(5845): 1760-4.

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