Clark A. Lindgren
Professor of Biology and Patricia A. Johnson Professor of Neuroscience
- Postdoctorate, Neurobiology, Duke University
- M.S., Ph.D., Physiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- B.S., Physics, Wheaton College
Awards and Honors
Award for Education in Neuroscience from the Society for Neuroscience (2022)
Biology Faculty Mentor Award (advanced career) from the Council for Undergraduate Research – Biology Division, Grinnell College (2022)
Iowa Professor of the Year from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (2015)
Bio
Clark’s journey into physiology and neuroscience began unexpectedly as a physics undergraduate at Wheaton College. An encounter with a physiology textbook fascinated him, steering his academic pursuits toward applying physical theory to explore biological systems. During his doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Duke University, Clark studied the chemical synapses, focusing particularly on the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), which facilitates signal transmission between neurons and muscles.
Since joining Grinnell College as a faculty in 1992, he has taught various courses in the Biology and Neuroscience departments, including the first-year biology course “The Language of Neurons”, introductory neuroscience, neurobiology, and animal physiology. His research on synaptic modulation has been supported by prestigious grants and published in numerous academic journals. He has mentored over 90 undergraduate research students, many of whom have gone on to establish successful careers in neuroscience and other scientific areas.
Clark is a staunch advocate for making authentic and interactive scientific training accessible to all students. He served as a faculty director for the Grinnell Science Project, a pre-orientation program that nurtures mentoring and support networks for students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in science. He also led the development of the new biology curriculum that integrates hands-on research experience into first-year biology courses, helped establish the interdisciplinary neuroscience concentration—which has become the largest concentration on campus—, and taught neuroscience courses for the local Drake Community Library’s Bucket Course program and the Liberal Arts in Prison program.
Clark’s long-standing dedication to education and mentorship has been recognized with various awards and honors. Beneath his achievements in teaching, research, and mentorship lies his warm and approachable personality and a captivating passion for science.