Dr. Clarkson was born in Waupaca, a small town in central Wisconsin. Being the son of an army dentist, he ended up living in several states during his formative years (Alaska, Texas, Michigan & Washington) as well as in two locations in Germany (Pirmasens & Munich). Dr. Clarkson obtained his undergraduate training at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma WA where he graduated with a BS in Biology & Chemistry in 1977. One of the elective courses Dr. Clarkson took during his 2nd year in college was a one month course on marine biology in Hawaii where he worked with a team to refine HPLC techniques to purify a marine toxin (Ciguatera) responsible for causing major health problems in the South Pacific & Carribean. This project sparked an interest in pharmacology, and was the catalyst for causing him to enter graduate school in pharmacology at Northwestern University under the mentorship of Robert E TenEick, PhD. After receiving his PhD in 1982 he completed 3 years of postdoctoral training under Luc Hondeghem, MD, PhD at the University of California, San Francisco.

In 1985, Dr. Clarkson joined the faculty at Tulane as an assistant professor in pharmacology. Over the years he took on an increased responsibility for teaching including the role of course director for Medical Pharmacology in 1997. Following hurricane Katrina, he also took over the responsibility of director of graduate studies for the pharmacology department's doctoral and masters programs.

Dr. Clarkson believes that adults learn most effectively when they are actively engaged in their own learning. As a result, he has helped to implement several interactive, learner-centered approaches into the medical curriculum including problem based learning, team based learning, just-in-time-teaching and peer instruction. He is the recipient of 11 teaching awards from the medical student's honor society (Owl Club), as well as the Sr Vice President's Teaching Scholar award, the Tulane President's Award for Excellence in Teaching & the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert Glaser Teaching Award. At Tulane, he serves as the Chair of the Educational Technology Committee & the Student Affairs Committee. He is also a member of the Curriculum Committee, T2 Curriculum Subcommittee, Evaluation & Assessment Committee, and the Biomedical Sciences Steering Committee. On a national level, Dr. Clarkson is a member of the American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), the National Directors of Graduate Studies in Pharmacology & the International Association of Medical School Educators (IAMSE). He has also served as the Medical Schools Representative to the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (2005-2010).