Sterling K. Clarren is one of the world's leading researchers into

fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person who is exposed to alcohol during gestation. FASD affects 1 in 20 Americans, but is highly misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed. The several forms of the ...

(FASD), an umbrella term encompassing fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, static encephalopathy:alcohol exposed and prenatal alcohol exposed. He was the Robert A. Aldrich Professor of Pediatrics at the

University of Washington School of Medicine The University of Washington School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Washington, a public research university in Seattle, Washington. According to ''U.S. News & World Report''s 2022 Best Graduate School rankings, University ...

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, and doctor for the university's FAS diagnostic and prevention clinic prior to becoming the CEO and Scientific Director of the Canada FASD Research Network. Clarren has studied FASD since 1975 and helped to establish the definitions of FAS and FAE. He wrote the first article on the

neuropathology Neuropathology is the study of disease of nervous system tissue, usually in the form of either small surgical biopsies or whole-body autopsies. Neuropathologists usually work in a department of anatomic pathology, but work closely with the clini ...

of FAS, and developed the first non-human

primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...

model for studying dose-response. He has testified about FASD before the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

and the Washington State Legislature.

Education

Clarren received his bachelor's from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and his MD from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

. His postgraduate training was in pediatrics, and fellowship training was in neuroembryology,

teratology Teratology is the study of abnormalities of physiological development in organisms during their life span. It is a sub-discipline in medical genetics which focuses on the classification of congenital abnormalities in dysmorphology caused by ...

, and dysmorphology at the University of Washington.

Professional life

Clarren is a fellow of the

American Academy of Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the largest professional association of pediatricians in the United States. It is headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, and maintains an office in Washington, D.C. The AAP has published hundreds of poli ...

, the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

, a past president of the FAS study group for the Research Society on Alcoholism, past president of the West Coast Teratology Society, and a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, New York Academy of Science, the Teratology Society. He has received funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the

Centers for Disease Control The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...

, the Glaser Foundation, and the

March of Dimes March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to co ...

. He has published over 100 scholarly papers. Clarren is currently working as a clinical professor for the Centre for Community Child Health Research at the Child and Family Research Institute in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Papers

*Clarke, MP, Tough SC, Hicks M, Cook J, Foulkes E, Clarren SK. (2005). "Attitudes and approaches of Canadian providers to preconception counseling and the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders." ''Journal of FAS International''. *Clarke, MP, Tough SC, Hicks M, Cook J, Foulkes E, Clarren SK. (2005). "Approaches of Canadian providers the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders." ''Journal of FAS International''. *Astley, SJ, Stachowiak J, Clarren SK, Clausen C. (2002). "Application of the fetal alcohol syndrome facial photographic screening tool in a foster care population." ''J. Pediatrics'', 141:712-17. *Clarren, SK, Randels SP, Sanderson M, Fineman RM. (2001). "Screening for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in primary schools – a feasibility study." ''Teratology'', 63:3-10. *Miller, RI, Clarren SK. (2000). "Long term developmental outcomes in patients with deformational plagiocephaly." ''Pediatrics'', 105:417(e26).

Books and chapters

*Clarren, SK. "Alcohol teratogenesis and fetal alcohol syndrome." In L. Osborn, T. DeWitt, L. First. (eds.). ''Comprehensive Pediatrics''. St. Louis : Harcourt Press, in press 2004. *Clarren SK. "Fetal alcohol syndrome & fetal alcohol spectrum disorders." In: M.L. Wolrich. (ed.). ''Disorders of Development & Learning''. Hamilton, Ontario : BC Decker, 2003. *Clarren SK, Astley SJ. "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome". In: S.B. Cassidy and J. Allanson J. (eds.). ''Clinical Management of Common Genetic Syndromes''. New York : Wiley and Sons, 2001. *Clarren, SK. "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the context of alcohol exposure in utero". In: P. Accardo, T.A. Blondis, B. Whitman, M.A. Stein. (eds.). ''Attention Deficits and Hyperactivity in Children and Adults'', 2nd Edition. New York : Marcel Dekker, Inc., 2000. *Astley SJ, Clarren SK. ''Diagnostic Guide for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Related Conditions: The 4-Digit Diagnostic Code''. 2nd Edition University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington, 1999.

References

Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarren, Sterling American medical researchers Living people Yale University alumni University of Minnesota Medical School alumni Year of birth missing (living people) American health care chief executives