Matthew Griffin, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., receives Mayo Clinic Mid-Career Alumni Award
Matthew Griffin, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O.
Bridging basic research and clinical care
During his internship in his native Ireland, Matthew Griffin, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O. (I ’94, NEPH ’96), became fascinated with nephrology.
“I realized that I enjoyed working with complex patients and applying basic knowledge of physiology and pathology directly to their care,” he says.
He’s done just that over the course of his career, repeatedly proving his ability to bridge the research-clinical gap across multiple areas of nephrology and transplantation.
“The arc of his research has been what we all aspire to: achievements in basic science that lead to preclinical studies, clinical trials, consortia and diverse collaborations with the potential to benefit patients,” says Vesna Garovic, M.D., Ph.D. (NEPH ’99), chair of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and The Penske Foundation Professor of Clinical Medicine in Honor of Ian D. Hay, M.D., Ph.D., and J. Eileen Hay, M.B., Ch.B. Dr. Garovic is also the director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science.
Dr. Griffin trained and worked in nephrology and transplant medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester from 1992 to 2008 and is currently head of the Discipline (Department) of Medicine and a professor of transplant biology at the University of Galway’s School of Medicine in Ireland.
“The arc of his research has been what we all aspire to: achievements in basic science that lead to preclinical studies, clinical trials, consortia and
– Vesna Garovic, M.D., Ph.D.
diverse collaborations with the potential to benefit patients.”
His career has been marked by impactful, original and translational research including new contributions to polycystic kidney disease and basic T-cell immunology, vitamin D and its impact on immunity, the immunological basis of kidney disease, kidney and pancreas transplant outcomes and complications, and immunomodulatory allogeneic stromal cell therapies. To date, he has generated over 200 peer-reviewed publications — including 148 original research reports and 94 publications as senior author — which have garnered over 18,000 citations.
An example of the diversity of his research contributions: From 2014 to 2021, Dr. Griffin led and coordinated a multidisciplinary, five-country European consortium focused on improving knowledge and care of high- risk corneal transplants. Among the consortium’s results, it produced multi- site clinical cohorts and regulatory approval for a novel cell therapy product for corneal transplantation.
“Matt led this consortium in an outstanding manner to help lay the groundwork for clinical translation of immune-modulating cell therapies in high-risk corneal transplantation,” says Tim O’Brien, M.D., Ph.D. (ENDO ’93), an established professor of medicine at the University of Galway and recipient of the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award.
In addition, Dr. Griffin has made significant contributions in the realms of peer review, postgraduate education, research supervision and career mentorship. Notably, he was a deputy and associate editor for the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology for over a decade and is currently an associate editor for Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Throughout his career, Dr. Griffin has provided compassionate patient care, valuing, in particular, the long-term relationships that a practicing nephrologist develops with patients as they navigate the many challenges of life with kidney disease. Dr. Griffin’s commitment to patient care came to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic as his long-time colleague Dr. O’Brien attests.
“Although a physician-scientist in Galway, he volunteered to take on full-time clinical activity on the hospital service for general internal medicine during the first wave of the pandemic,” says Dr. O’Brien.
Despite all Dr. Griffin has accomplished in his career, he shows no signs of slowing down.
“My goals are to play a role in establishing disease-modulating cell therapies as a new option for people with kidney disease and to contribute to the advancement of medical education, research training and early- stage career development at the University of Galway,” he says.
The Early and Mid-Career Alumni Awards recognize Mayo Clinic alumni who have made robust contributions to their areas of expertise in the realms of education, clinical practice, clinical and scientific research, and administration. Beyond their professional output, they demonstrate selfless community service and have consistently acted in a manner that is aligned with Mayo Clinic values. Read about the other 2024 recipients here.