Team

Nat Clarke

Nat Clarke

Principal Investigator

Nat did his undergraduate at Whitman College, where he worked in the labs of Kate Jackson and Peter Zani studying the effects of temperature on ectotherm reproduction. After graduating he worked in Cassandra Extavour's lab at Harvard OEB, studying the development of germ cells in insects. He moved to California in 2012 to pursue a PhD in Biology at Stanford University. There, he worked with Chris Lowe and James Nelson to explore the evolution of cell adhesion mechanisms in animals using a combination of embryology and biochemistry. After finishing his PhD in September 2018, Nat moved to Cambridge to start a postdoc position with Adam Martin at MIT. At MIT, he studied how cell adhesion contributes to embryonic morphogenesis. Upon finishing his postdoc, he worked as a research scientist in the lab of Brady Weissbourd to study genetics and development in jellyfish. He subsequently began as an assistant professor at the University of Miami in 2025.

Natalie Ng

Natalie Ng

Summer Intern

Natalie is a rising fourth-year undergraduate studying anthropology, biology, statistics, and digital studies at Grinnell College. Originally from Singapore, her research interests lie at the intersection of paleoanthropology and evolutionary marine biology. In the Clarke Lab, she is investigating the role specific transcription factors play in the gastrulation of Clytia hemisphaerica. Aside from science, Natalie also enjoys writing, reading, walking, dancing, and the art of celestial navigation.

Maya Welcher

Maya Welcher

Summer Intern

Maya Welcher is from Topeka, Kansas, and is a rising senior majoring in ecology, evolution, and organismal biology with a double major in environmental studies at the University of Kansas. Maya's research focuses on gene knockdown methods and regeneration processes within colonial hydrozoans.

Waffles

Waffles

Lab Mascot

#1 good boy

This could be you!

This could be you!

Prospective lab member

We’re recruiting! If you’re excited about cell adhesion, multicellularity, and building tools for non-model systems, we’d love to hear from you.