Matter, Michelle
Professor
Dr. Matter received a PhD in cell biology from the University of Virginia Medical School. After completing her postdoctoral research with Dr. Erkki Ruoshlati at The Sanford Burnham Institute, Dr. Matter joined the University of Hawaii School of Medicine as an assistant professor. She obtained tenure as associate professor at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center in 2015 before joining Tulane School of Medicine as a tenured professor in 2022. Professor Matter has expertise in cell and molecular biology, integrin signaling and apoptosis. Her laboratory engages diverse interdisciplinary approaches including bioengineering to rigorously interrogate complex biological questions. Professor Matter discovered peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase 2 (PTRH2; Bit-1) as a regulator of integrin-mediated apoptosis by controlling the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 through effects of NFkB signaling. Her team identified patients with a biallelic mutation in the PTRH2 gene develop infantile-onset multisystem neurologic, endocrine and pancreatic disease (IMNEPD). Vascular barrier function in cardiovascular disease is Professor Matter’s second area of research. Her team continues to elucidate molecular mechanisms regulating cytokine-mediated vascular permeability and are developing potential new therapeutic targets for blocking hyper-permeability in sepsis. Dr. Matter discovered that an active R-Ras-Filamin A complex maintains endothelial barrier function. She is highly collaborative and her work has resulted in high-quality publications in scientific journals, including Cell, PNAS, JCB, JBC, Cell Death & Discovery, Oncogene, JCS, Scientific Reports. Professor Matter serves as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Oncology (Molecular and Cellular Oncology section) and is an Editorial Board Member for Journal of Personalized Medicine (Mechanisms of Disease section). She is a Board Member for Strykagen, LLC, has two patents and has served on study section at NIH and AHA.
Biography
Dr. Matter received a PhD in cell biology from the University of Virginia Medical School. After completing her postdoctoral research with Dr. Erkki Ruoshlati at The Sanford Burnham Institute, Dr. Matter joined the University of Hawaii School of Medicine as an assistant professor. She obtained tenure as associate professor at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center in 2015 before joining Tulane School of Medicine as a tenured professor in 2022. Professor Matter has expertise in cell and molecular biology, integrin signaling and apoptosis. Her laboratory engages diverse interdisciplinary approaches including bioengineering to rigorously interrogate complex biological questions. Professor Matter discovered peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase 2 (PTRH2; Bit-1) as a regulator of integrin-mediated apoptosis by controlling the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 through effects of NFkB signaling. Her team identified patients with a biallelic mutation in the PTRH2 gene develop infantile-onset multisystem neurologic, endocrine and pancreatic disease (IMNEPD). Vascular barrier function in cardiovascular disease is Professor Matter’s second area of research. Her team continues to elucidate molecular mechanisms regulating cytokine-mediated vascular permeability and are developing potential new therapeutic targets for blocking hyper-permeability in sepsis. Dr. Matter discovered that an active R-Ras-Filamin A complex maintains endothelial barrier function. She is highly collaborative and her work has resulted in high-quality publications in scientific journals, including Cell, PNAS, JCB, JBC, Cell Death & Discovery, Oncogene, JCS, Scientific Reports. Professor Matter serves as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Oncology (Molecular and Cellular Oncology section) and is an Editorial Board Member for Journal of Personalized Medicine (Mechanisms of Disease section). She is a Board Member for Strykagen, LLC, has two patents and has served on study section at NIH and AHA.
