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Dr. Joanna Mattis

Assistant Professor of Neurology

jomattis@med.umich.edu
CV
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BS., M.S. Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University (2006)
M.Phil. Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge (2007)
Ph.D. Neuroscience, Stanford University (2013)
M.D. Stanford University (2015)
Neurology Resident, University of Pennsylvania (2015-2019)
Instructor and Research Fellow, University of Pennsylvania (2019-2020)
Epilepsy Fellow, University of Pennsylvania (2020-2021)
Instructor, University of Pennsylvania (2021-2022)
Assistant Professor, University of Michigan (2022-present)

About Me

Joanna Mattis I am a circuit neuroscientist and epileptologist. As a physician-scientist, I chose to specialize in epilepsy because there is a tremendous opportunity for our scientific advances to translate to the bedside: epilepsy is fundamentally a disease of neuronal circuitry, but we understand relatively little about which precise circuit elements go awry, and how. My laboratory is focused on answering these questions in preclinical animal models, with the goal of motivating new therapies for patients with refractory disease.

My time outside of work is mostly spent chasing my three kids (born while I was in graduate school, medical school, and residency). Our family makes regular trips to the UK to visit my husband’s extended family. I also enjoy music (I was once a semi-serious clarinetist), reading (although I have trouble putting down a book once I start it), and playing Wordle and its variations (Quordle is the best). Our family is excited to explore the many restaurants and festivals in Ann Arbor, and the great hiking and camping in Michigan!

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

I have been lucky to have mentors who have supported my growth as a person and as a scientist. I consider it to be my responsibility to champion all my mentees, particularly if they have had to overcome additional barriers due to their backgrounds.

The fields of medicine and science are enriched by diversity, and as a faculty member I am committed to recruiting talented trainees from all backgrounds. But recruitment is not enough: the physician-scientist and academic scientist career pipelines are notoriously leaky, and disproportionately so for under-represented groups. My responsibility as a mentor is to ensure that my mentees do not find their professional success limited by discrimination, by financial barriers, or by the decision to start a family during training. Some tangible examples of my role include:

evaluating all letters of recommendation for inadvertent gender and racial bias
providing up-front financial support to attend conferences for anyone who cannot wait for months to receive reimbursement
strategizing ways for mentees to maintain research productivity while also having children (e.g. establishing collaborations to keep a project going, or strategically shifting in the short term to work that can be done mostly from home)

Teaching and Mentoring

As a physician in a teaching hospital, I enjoy the teaching and mentoring built into team-based delivery of care in the clinic or hospital. Medical education should occur alongside patient care, and this has been a high priority and a great source of professional satisfaction for me as a resident, fellow, and now as an attending. I am excited to attend the inpatient service at the Ann Arbor VA, which is a wonderful opportunity for medical students to get close attention and great training in neurology.

Similarly, as a scientist, although I have repeatedly sought out opportunities to formally mentor students through various programs, most of my teaching and mentoring has occurred “on the job”, working side-by-side with students in the research laboratory. I have been lucky to mentor multiple fabulous students throughout my training, and these interactions have been a large factor in my decision to remain in academia. I have a particular interest in mentoring students from groups that are historically underrepresented as physicians and scientists.

Dr. Joanna Mattis

Dr. Joanna Mattis

The Mattis Lab