Clarkson University recently recognized one faculty member whose cumulative external funding for research and teaching has exceeded $1 million. This past year, the honoree was Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Costel C. Darie.
The Million Dollar Club was established in 1998 to recognize Clarkson faculty and staff for their distinguished achievement by securing one million dollars or more of external funding. Currently there are 106 Million Dollar Club honorees; Darie will be #107.
Darie received a BS and a MS in Biochemistry from Al. I. Cuza University: Iasi, Romania, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Alberts-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany, and has been a Clarkson faculty since 2009. Since 2009, Darie mentored over 60 undergraduate students, 10 graduate students, 4 international visiting researchers and 4 Ph.D.-level scientists. He also had two Fulbright visitors (and a third one will arrive in August 2021) and several Erasmus+ exchange faculty and students.
His research interests include application of mass spectrometry and proteomics in different biological fluids and tissues. Projects include identifying dysregulated proteins in breast cancer, studying biological effects of lake contaminants on fish, and investigating the function of Jumping Translocation Breakpoint Protein. His lab members also develop new proteomics methods for application in biomarker discovery and protein characterization. He has published about 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, co-edited 2 books and delivered (together with his lab members) more than 120 oral and 180 poster presentations at various conferences.