Staff profile

Research Interests

Host-associated microbial populations have a significant and wide-ranging influence on the physiology of the host organism. We aim to identify the drivers of this dynamic host-microbe association through the use of the fruit-fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a simple model organism.

We have a particular interest in the impact of the intestinal microbial population on the aging process of the host, and on the maintenance of health, or development of disease, in aged animals. Our ultimate goal is to inform the development of interventions that will allow us to engage the microbial population in the maintenance of host health throughout the lifespan.

We have three main areas of interest:

1) Identifying the drivers of microbial population dynamics during the lifespan of the host.

2) Understanding the impact of microbial dynamics on whole-animal physiology during aging.

3) Characterising microbial contributions to the maintenance, or decline, of gastrointestinal function in aged animals.

• Animal Cells and Systems

Journal Article

• Schinaman, Joseph M., Rana, Anil, Ja, William W., Clark, Rebecca I. & Walker, David W. (2019). Rapamycin modulates tissue aging and lifespan independently of the gut microbiota in Drosophila. Scientific Reports 9(1): 7824.
• Salazar, Anna M., Resnik-Docampo, Martin, Ulgherait, Matthew, Clark, Rebecca I., Shirazu-Hiza, Mimi, Jones, D. Leanne & Walker, David W. (2018). Intestinal Snakeskin Limits Microbial Dysbiosis During Aging and Promotes Longevity. iScience 9: 229-243.
• Resnik-Docampo, Martin, Koehler, Christopher L., Clark, Rebecca I., Schinaman, Joseph M., Sauer, Vivien, Wong, Daniel M., Lewis, Sophia, D’Alterio, Cecilia, Walker, David W. & Jones, D. Leanne (2017). Tricellular junctions regulate intestinal stem cell behaviour to maintain homeostasis. Nature Cell Biology 19(1): 52-59.
• Clark, R. I., Salazar, A., Yamada, R., Fitz-Gibbon, S., Morselli, M., Alcaraz, J., Rana, A., Rera, M., Pellegrini, M., Ja, W. W. & Walker, D. W. (2015). Distinct shifts in microbiota composition during Drosophila aging impair intestinal function and drive mortality. Cell Reports 12(10): 1656-1667.
• Timmermans, M. J. T. N., Baxter, S. W., Clark, R., Heckel, D. G., Vogel, H., Collins, S., Papanicolaou, A., Fukova, I., Joron, M., Thompson, M. J., Jiggins, C. D., ffrench-Constant, R. H. & Vogler, A. P. (2014). Comparative genomics of the mimicry switch in Papilio dardanus. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281(1787): 20140465.
• Clark, R.I., Walker, D.W. & Dionne, M.S. (2014). Metabolic and immune integration in aging and age-related disease. Aging 6(1): 3-4.
• Clark, R.I., Tan, S.W., Pean, C.B., Roostalu, U., Vivancos, V., Bronda, K., Pilatova, M., Fu, J., Walker, D.W., Berdeaux, R., Geissmann, F. & Dionne, M.S. (2013). MEF2 is an in vivo immune-metabolic switch. Cell 155(2): 435-447.
• Rera, M., Clark, R.I. & Walker, D.W. (2013). Why do old flies die? Aging 5(8): 586-587.
• Rera, M., Clark, R.I. & Walker, D.W. (2012). Intestinal barrier dysfunction links metabolic and inflammatory markers of aging to death in Drosophila. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(52): 21528-21533.
• Clark, R.I., Woodcock, K.J., Geissmann, F., Trouillet, C. & Dionne, M.S. (2011). Multiple TGF-β superfamily signals modulate the adult Drosophila immune response. Current Biology 21(19): 1672-1677.