Paleontologist Julia Clarke's research focuses on using phylogenetic methods and diverse data types to gain insight into the evolution of birds and avian flight. She is particularly interested in understanding shared patterns and potential causal factors in the evolution of living bird lineages. Through international and cross-disciplinary collaboration, she seeks new data to inform how bird distributions and diversity, shape, and form have changed across their deep histories. Clarke earned her PhD from Yale University and is a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. She served on the faculty of NC State University for four years before joining UT. She serves as co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Anatomy and is an associate editor of Paleobiology. She has published widely and been recognized for excellence in research, undergraduate teaching and outreach.