Dr. Julian Clarke grew up in Toronto, Canada and was a Division 1 basketball player at Santa Clara University in California. After completing his undergraduate studies, Dr. Clarke pursued medical school at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He is currently a resident in Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington in Seattle. After completing his residency,  Dr. Clark hopes to subspecialize in cerebrovascular neurosurgery.

Dr. Clarke’s research interests lie in basic and translational science, particularly focusing on subarachnoid hemorrhage. His work aims to prevent long-term neurological deficits caused by delayed cerebral ischemia. When his schedule allows, Dr. Clarke is an avid skier and enjoys spending time outdoors, whether by the water or in the mountains.

Please tell us your background, where you are from, schooling, etc.

I am from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and went to Santa Clara University in California where I played D1 basketball and graduated with a BSc in biochemistry in 2014. I then attended the University of Toronto for a year pursuing a master in exercise science before being accepted to medical school at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. I graduated with a dual MD/Masters degree in 2021 and matched into the Neurological Surgery residency program at the University of Washington where I am now a 5th year resident physician and planning to specialize in cerebrovascular neurosurgery.

What led you to become involved with brain aneurysm research?

I became interested in aneurysm research while in medical school, working in the lab of Dr. Gregory Zipfel, who is now the chair of neurosurgery at Washington University in St. Louis. His mentorship and guidance provided the foundations for me to further explore my interests in the field, specifically in the context of delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysm rupture. I am thankful for the continued support and mentorship from the program at UW, especially my mentors Dr. Michael Levitt and Dr. Louis Kim, and our chair Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, enabling me to further pursue exciting research opportunities in the field while taking care of these complex patients.

In the simplest terms, what is the purpose of your project?

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has devastating consequences, and while the field has evolved and we continue to improve our initial care of these patients, there are many things we can improve upon. Understanding the pathophysiological changes that leads to delayed cerebral ischemia is crucial for the care of these patients. The purpose of this project is to better characterize what is happening in the smallest blood vessels in the brain after aneurysms rupture, and identifying mechanistic targets for intervention that would help improve neurological outcome after aneurysm rupture.

In the simplest terms, what do you hope will change through your research findings?

My central hypothesis is that pericytes – cells that wrap around the small blood vessels in the brain – contract in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage, leading to the formation of blood clots and contributing to poor neurological outcome. I hypothesize that the contraction of these cells can be prevented with pharmacotherapy to improve the overall outcome in SAH patients.

Why is the funding you are receiving through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation so important?

I find the nuances in clinical care of critically ill subarachnoid hemorrhage patients, the elegance of open microsurgical treatment, and the innovation of endovascular intervention to be at the pinnacle of what we are able to accomplish as a field in neurological surgery and I am deeply invested in pursuing research endeavors that will improve the clinical outcome in this patient population. The funding through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation will allow for exploration of certain pathophysiological mechanisms in the cerebral microvasculature that I believe contribute to poor neurological outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage. The grant will facilitate the generation of preliminary basic and translational data, providing an essential foundation for future studies.