Brian C. Clark named Ohio University Distinguished Professor

Ohio University has named Brian C. Clark, Ph.D., the 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Professor Award, the institution’s highest permanent faculty honor. The award recognizes faculty whose careers reflect outstanding scholarly or creative accomplishment and enduring impact on their disciplines, their students and the University.

“Dr. Clark’s research embodies Ohio University’s commitment to improving lives through discovery, innovation and service,” said Ohio University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez. “This honor recognizes not only his exceptional contributions to the fields of health, aging and mobility, but also the profound and lasting impact his work has had on individuals, families and communities. Across decades of innovative scholarship, dedicated mentorship and externally funded research, Dr. Clark has advanced scientific understanding in meaningful ways that are helping people lead healthier, more independent lives—truly embodying the mission and values of our University.”

Clark serves as executive director of the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI), Harold E. Clybourne, D.O., Endowed Research Chair and professor of Physiology and Neuroscience in Ohio University’s Department of Biomedical Sciences. Over two decades at Ohio University, he has built a nationally and internationally recognized research program centered on one of the most consequential challenges in aging and medical science: why people lose strength, mobility and skeletal resilience and how those losses can be prevented, detected earlier, or reversed.

His scholarship has helped reshape how scientists and clinicians understand sarcopenia—the age-related loss of muscle strength and function—by moving the field beyond a narrow muscle-mass-only view toward a broader understanding that also includes neural function, muscle quality and motor control. His work has also extended into translational innovation in bone health through Cortical Bone Mechanics Technology (CBMT), a novel approach to assessing bone strength and fracture risk, and through OsteoDx, the Ohio University-based MedTech company helping advance that work toward broader use. Across these lines of inquiry, Clark has combined mechanistic physiology, clinical investigation, rehabilitation science and innovation in ways that have influenced scientific thinking while also moving new ideas toward real-world application.

Clark has published more than 200 articles and chapters, has been cited more than 18,000 times and has secured more than $47 million in grants and contracts. According to citation-based rankings, he is placed among the top 0.3% of scholars worldwide across all fields based on lifetime citations. His national and international recognition is further reflected in invited lectures, scientific leadership roles and service on more than 60 federal review panels and study sections, including work connected to organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and NASA.

In addition to his scholarly accomplishments, Clark is recognized for mentorship, institutional leadership and a sustained commitment to building research capacity at Ohio University. Under his leadership, OMNI has grown into one of the University’s most productive research enterprises, and his trainees and junior colleagues have gone on to successful careers in academia, research leadership and industry. His career reflects a rare combination of field-shaping scholarship, translational reach, and institutional impact.

“I’ve seen Dr. Clark host many prolific researchers in health and aging on campus. These collaborations are extensive and span places, people and domains of study,” said Interim Executive Vice President and Provost John McCarthy. “This honor recognizes how his research exemplifies the kind of interdisciplinary, forward-thinking inquiry that addresses critical health challenges and creates new opportunities to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.”

“This is a tremendous honor, but recognitions like this are never truly individual,” Clark said. “Whatever I have been able to contribute has been shaped by an extraordinary community of mentors, colleagues, trainees, collaborators, and institutional partners. I feel that very strongly today, because we all stand on the shoulders of giants. I am deeply grateful to the many people across Ohio University, OMNI, and OsteoDx who have helped build and sustain this work, and especially to my wife and longtime collaborator, Dr. Leatha Clark, whose encouragement and partnership have meant so much throughout this journey.”

About the Award
The Distinguished Professor Award, first granted in 1959, is the University’s highest permanent faculty recognition, honoring outstanding scholarly and creative accomplishments. Recipients earn a lifetime designation, a one-quarter research leave, and the privilege of naming an undergraduate annually for a full-tuition Distinguished Professor Scholarship. The award is supported by an endowment from Edwin and Ruth Kennedy to the Baker Fund.