Matthew Neal, MD

I am a surgeon-scientist with a clinical practice consisting of trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care as well as a translational research interest in coagulopathy in the setting of injury. My basic science laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms of hemostasis and coagulation following trauma and hemorrhagic shock with a specific interest in the impact of sterile inflammation on platelet function.  Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma, which accounts for nearly 10% of annual mortality worldwide.  Over 25% of severely injured patients will present with impaired coagulation which increases morbidity and mortality.  Although it is well known that trauma results in a profound inflammatory response driven by innate immune activation, the mechanisms of this acute coagulopathy of trauma are poorly understood.  Our lab has recently discovered a potential link between sterile inflammation and impaired coagulation through the expression of the innate immune receptor, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and the endogenous danger signaling molecule, high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) on platelets, with deranged signaling leading to microvascular thrombosis and organ injury.  We are testing multiple drug targets for regulating innate immune signaling and attenuating platelet dysfunction following trauma.  The lab has multiple collaborations studying immunothrombosis in various disease states including cancer and sickle cell anemia.  We also have an interest in targeted platelet therapy and have begun to devise novel platelet-specific nanotechnology for drug delivery.  We have a multi-disciplinary collaboration combining international experts in platelet biology, coagulopathy, cellular imaging, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and innate immune signaling.