Dr. Matthew D. Neal’s lab focuses on the mechanisms of organ failure and coagulopathy following trauma and hemorrhage. Specifically, he is interested in the role of innate immune activation in the regulation of hemostasis and thrombosis. He is particularly interested in platelet biology in sterile injury and sepsis. In addition, he has a translational research interest in outcomes following massive transfusion and the clinical assessment of coagulation defects in trauma and sepsis.
Education & Training
- Georgetown University, Washington, DC B.S. 05/02 Biology
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA MD 05/06 Medicine
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 06/06-06/14 General Surgery Residency
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA Postdoctoral 07/09-06/12 Inflammation and Innate Immunity
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 07/14-06/15 Surgical Critical Care Fellowship
Representative Publications
- Vogel S, Bodenstein R, Chen Q, Feil S, Feil R, Rheinlaender J, Schäffer TE, Bohn E, Frick JS, Borst O, Münzer P, Walker B, Markel J, Csanyi G, Pagano PJ, Loughran P, Jessup ME, Watkins SC, Bullock GC, Sperry JL, Zuckerbraun BS, Billiar TR, Lotze MT, Gawaz M, Neal MD. Platelet derived HMGB1 is a critical mediator of thrombosis. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2015 Dec 1;125(12):4638-54. PMC4665785.
- Sperry JL, Guyette FX, Brown JB, Yazer MH, Triulzi DJ, Early-Young BJ, Adams PW, Daley BJ, Miller RS, Harbrecht BG, Claridge JA, Phelan HA, Witham WR, Putnam AT, Duane LM, Alarcon LH, Callaway CW, Zuckerbraun BS, Neal MD, Rosengart MR, Forsythe RM, Billiar TR, Yealy DM, Peitzman AB, Zenati MS, for the PAMPer study group. Prehospital Air Medical Plasma Following Trauma and Hemorrhagic Shock: Results of the PAMPer Cluster Randomized Trial. New England Journal of Medicine. 2018 Jul 26;379(4):315-326
Research Interests
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 focus on hemostasis and thrombosis as well as surgical outcomes. My laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms of hemostasis and coagulation following trauma and hemorrhagic shock with a specific interest in the impact of inflammation and innate immune activation on platelet function. Over 25% of severely injured patients will present with impaired coagulation; a merciless problem called trauma-induced coagulopathy, which increases morbidity and mortality. Our lab has recently discovered a link between sterile inflammation and impaired coagulation, and our focused translational efforts seek to define mechanism that guides novel resuscitation and care strategies at the bedside. My lab is funded by the NIH, DoD, and private industry, and in addition, I am the principal investigator or co-investigator on a number of ongoing clinical trials in trauma and surgical care. I serve as the Director of the Pittsburgh Trauma Research Center, which is a coordinating center to leverage collaboration and resource in trauma care. I also serve as one of the three directors of the Coordinating Center and the co-chair of the in-patient clinical trial committee for the NIH and Operation Warp Speed funded Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines 4 (ACTIV-4) pandemic response.
Research Grants
Grant information: 1R35GM119526-01 NIH
Title: Mechanistic Elucidation and Targeted Therapy of Platelet Dysfunction After Trauma
Role in project: Principal Investigator (51% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: Elucidate the mechanisms of platelet dysfunction following trauma and identified
targeted therapies to attenuate organ injury and coagulopathy related to microvascular thrombosis
Years inclusive: 2016-2021
Grant information: R01HL141080-01A1 NIH
Title: Mechanisms of platelet exosome-mediated acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease
Role in project: co-Principal Investigator (5% effort)Project Goals/Aims: Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is the leading cause of mortality in Sickle Cell Disease
(SCD). We hypothesize that ACS involves NLRP3-inflammasome mediated release of IL-1β-containing plateletexosomes in SCD, which promote platelet-neutrophil aggregation leading to arrest of blood flow in lung.
Years inclusive: 2019-2023
Grant information: DM160354 Department of Defense JPC-6 Combat Casualty Care Research Program
Title: SynthoPlate Nanotechnology For Intravenous Hemostasis and Wound Healing in Prolonged Field Care
Role in project: Co-Principal Investigator (with Anirban Sen Gupta) (5% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: Develop and refine a novel synthetic platelet substitute (SynthoPlate) for resuscitation ofhemorrhage and promotion of wound healing.
Years inclusive: 2017-2020
Grant information: Department of Defense CDMRP JPC-6 Combat Casualty Care Research Program
Title: Field-Deployable Dried Platelet Surrogate Nanotechnology for Hemorrhage Control in RDCR
Role in project: Co-Principal Investigator (with Anirban Sen Gupta) (5% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: To analyze the in vitro and in vivo bioactivity of lyophilized SynthoPlates and assess
safety, time of delivery, hemostatic outcomes and survival in models of intraperitoneal hemorrhage
Years inclusive: 2020-2023
Grant Information: UPMC Immune Transplant and Therapy Center
Title: Strategies to Promote Resiliency (SPRY-1)
Role in project: Principal Investigator (15% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: The major goals of this project are to study the effects of metformin on pre-habilitation of non-diabetic elderly and frail patients prior to major surgery.
Years inclusive: 2018-2020
Grant information: W81XWH-16-D-0024
Title: Linking Investigations in Trauma and Emergency Services (LITES)
Role in project: Co-Investigator (5% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: Creation of research consortium of US trauma centers with the capability to conduct
prospective, multicenter, injury care and outcomes research of relevance to the Department of Defense.
Years inclusive: 2017- (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Contract)
Grant information: Accriva Diagnostics Investigator Initiated Study (Industry sponsored)
Title: Testing for Platelet Inhibition in Traumatic Brain Injury (TPI-TBI)
Role in project: Principal-Investigator (5% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: Assess whether point of care platelet function testing correlates with whole blood
aggregometry in patients with traumatic brain injuries taking anti-platelet agents
Years inclusive: 2016-2020
Grant information: UM1HL120877-01 (Mann, Esmon, Wisniewski (PIs))
Title: Analysis and Characterization of Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy
Role in project: Site Principal Investigator (2% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: To elucidate the mechanisms that drive coagulopathy following sterile injury. The site
co-I role is to investigate the response of platelets to sterile inflammatory ligands as a sub-project of the aims.
Years inclusive: 2013-2020
Grant information: R34 HL135224-01A1
Title: Pragmatic, Prehospital Group O Whole Blood Early Resuscitation Pilot Trial (pPOWER)
Role in project: Co-Investigator (2% effort)
Project Goals/Aims: Determine the feasibility, most appropriate study population and outcomes of a study
protocol that will lead to a large multicenter clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of prehospital
thru in-hospital LTLR-WB as compared to standard care practice in patients at risk of hemorrhagic shock.