Tameka A. Clemons

Tameka A. Clemons is an American biochemist and Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Clemons holds the title of Assistant Professor of Professional and Medical Education in the Division of Integrated Didactics at Meharry. Her research focuses on exploring the aberrant biochemical signalling networks in beta-cells that leads to cell death in diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease. Clemons was one of the inaugural recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program Fellowship and in 2020, she was named one of the top 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America by CellPress.

Tameka A. Clemons
NationalityAmerican
Alma materMeharry Medical College
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
Known forUPC2 and amylin signalling in diabetes and neurodegeneration
AwardsCellPress 100 Inspiring Black scientists in America, Research Initiation Award National Science Foundation, Inaugural Recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program
Scientific career
FieldsBiochemistry
InstitutionsMeharry Medical College

Early life and education

In 1998, Clemons pursued her graduate training in Microbiology at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] Clemons studied in the Department of Biochemistry under the mentorship of Oksoon H. Choi.[1] In 1999, she was one of 22 scholars to receive the inaugural Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program Fellowship and become a Sloan Fellow.[2] From 2000 to 2002, Clemons successfully received the National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award each year, as a part of the Minority Predoctoral Fellowship Program.[3] During her PhD, Clemons explored the mechanisms by which IgE stimulation leads to calcium influx in mast cells and release of cytokines that result in allergy symptoms.[3] She hypothesized that membrane associated sphingosine kinase (SK) signalling, leading to downstream sphingosine 1-phosphate release in the endoplasmic reticulum) is responsible for calcium mobilization in mast cells, in addition to the IP3 mediated mechanisms that had been already discovered.[3] Clemons and her team at Meharry found that both IP3 and SK signalling are required for calcium mobilization after antigen binding to mast cells and they also found that SK signalling alone would not be sufficient to mobilize calcium.[4] Clemons thesis was titled "Effects of sphingosine 1-phosphate in FcεRI-mediated Ca2+ response".[1] Clemons completed her PhD studies in 2003.[1]

Career and research

In 2004, Clemons moved to Atlanta, Georgia and founded the Alpha Kappa Alpha Incorporated Sorority Atlanta Chapter.[5] Clemons then trained with Luis H. Toledo-Pereyra at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, where she studied the effects of hydroxyl radicals after ischemia perfusion.[6] In 2015, Clemons became an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine.[7] She worked here for one year before becoming an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.[8] While at Spelman, Clemons taught many undergraduate classes including General Chemistry, Biochemistry, Undergraduate Research in Chemistry, and Advanced Biochemistry.[9]

In 2020, Clemons was recruited back to her alma mater, Meharry Medical College.[10] She is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry as well as an Assistant Professor of Professional and Medical education in the Division of Integrated Didactics at the Medical College. [10]

Clemons is actively involved in education and mentorship. In 2018, as a Principal Investigator at Spelman College, Clemons was a part of the NASA Technology Infusion Road Tour for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions.[11] In 2019, she spoke at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (AMBRCMS) on the topic of “Post Baccalaureate Programs, Tips for Submitting a Successful Application, and Advice on Taking a Gap Year”.[12] Clemons is also an Associate Member of the Georgia State University Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases.[13]

Beta-cell dysfunction

Clemons investigates the aberrant biochemical signalling pathways that result in beta-cell death in Type 2 Diabetes.[14] She seeks to understand how amylin and uncoupling protein 2 (UPC2) function in both health and disease.[15] By investigating the role of UPC2, known to suppress the impact of free radicals, on amylin function, Clemons will uncover how beta-cell death might be prevented.[14] This work extends to the field of neurodegeneration, as Clemons also hopes to explore how UCP2 could be used to control the functions of amylin in neurons to prevent degeneration.[16]

Awards and honors
  • 2020 CellPress 100 Inspiring Black scientists in America[17]
  • 2019 Selected for Accomplishing Career Transitions Program through the American Society for Cell Biology[18]
  • 2018 Research Initiation Award National Science Foundation - Network of Minority Health Research Investigators[19]
  • 2000-2002 Minority Predoctoral Fellowship Program[3]
  • 1999 Inaugural Recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program[2]

Select publications
  • Clemons TA, Toledo-Pereyra LH. Hexokinase: A Glycolytic Enzyme with an Inflammatory Ischemia and Reperfusion Connection. J Invest Surg. 2015;28(6):301-302. doi:10.3109/08941939.2015.1121674[20]
  • Lee HS, Park CS, Lee YM, Suk HY, Clemons TC, Choi OH. Antigen-induced Ca2+ mobilization in RBL-2H3 cells: role of I(1,4,5)P3 and S1P and necessity of I(1,4,5)P3 production. Cell Calcium. 2005;38(6):581-592. doi:10.1016/j.ceca.2005.08.002[4]

References
  1. "Curriculum Vitae for Academic Promotion Oksoon H. Choi" (PDF). hopkinsmedicine.org. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  2. "Investing in Future Faculty" (PDF). sreb.org. 2005. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  3. Mitchell-Clemons, Tameka. "Minority Predoctoral Fellowship Program". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Lee, Hyun-Sil; Park, Chang-Shin; Lee, Young Mi; Suk, Ho Young; Clemons, Tameka C. M.; Choi, Oksoon Hong (December 2005). "Antigen-induced Ca2+ mobilization in RBL-2H3 cells: role of I(1,4,5)P3 and S1P and necessity of I(1,4,5)P3 production". Cell Calcium. 38 (6): 581–592. doi:10.1016/j.ceca.2005.08.002. ISSN 0143-4160. PMID 16219349.
  5. "Chapter History – Psi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc". www.psialphaomega.org. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  6. Clemons, Tameka A.; Toledo-Pereyra, Luis H. (2015-11-02). "Hexokinase: A Glycolytic Enzyme with an Inflammatory Ischemia and Reperfusion Connection". Journal of Investigative Surgery. 28 (6): 301–302. doi:10.3109/08941939.2015.1121674. ISSN 0894-1939. PMID 26654433.
  7. "WMed Newsletter 2015" (PDF). med.wmich.edu. 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  8. "Biochemistry Professor Receives $300,000 Award to Study Cells Involved in Alzheimer's Disease and Diabetes". www.spelman.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  9. "Tameka Clemons at Spelman College | Coursicle Spelman". www.coursicle.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  10. "Basic Sciences Faculty". Meharry Medical College. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  11. "NASA technology infusion road tour" (PDF). osbp.nasa.gov. 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  12. "ABRCMS 2019" (PDF). abrcms,org. 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  13. "Associate Members". Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  14. "Biochemistry Professor Receives $300,000 Award to Study Cells Involved in Alzheimer's Disease and Diabetes". www.spelman.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  15. "Research Initiation Award: Probing inter-compartmental cross-talk between redox and amylin signaling networks". The eScience Diversity Network. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  16. "STEM Central | Projects | Research Initiation Award: Probing inter-compartmental cross-talk between redox and amylin signaling networks". stem-central.net. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  17. Jr, Antentor O. Hinton. "100 inspiring Black scientists in America". crosstalk.cell.com. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  18. "New program develops careers in academia". ASCB. 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  19. "NSF Award Search: Award#1801091 - Research Initiation Award: Probing inter-compartmental cross-talk between redox and amylin signaling networks". nsf.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  20. "Clemons TA - Search Results". PubMed. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
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