Dr. Matthews is Canada Research Chair in Early Development and Health, Professor of Physiology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Senior Investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health. He previously served as Chair of the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto (2007–2014) and currently holds key leadership roles as Director of Research at the Alliance for Human Development (LTRI) and Director of the Ontario Birth Study.
Dr. Matthews leads an internationally recognized research program that integrates fundamental, translational, and clinical science to improve the long-term health of pregnant individuals and their children. His work focuses on understanding how the fetal environment shapes brain development and lifelong health, as well as identifying the biological systems that protect the developing brain. A central strength of his program is its strong translational focus—advancing discoveries from bench to bedside to inform clinical practice and improve outcomes. He is actively engaged in major international clinical trials and currently leads a large-scale preconception intervention study in southern India, partnered with WHO.
A global leader in developmental health research, Dr. Matthews has published over 275 peer-reviewed articles and has delivered more than 300 invited presentations worldwide. He has trained and mentored over 60 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical trainees, alongside more than 100 undergraduate students. His contributions have been recognized with numerous research and teaching awards, and in 2019 he was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Dr. Matthews is also a highly influential leader in the international research community. He co-founded the Canadian DOHaD (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease) Society in 2015 and served as its President from 2018 to 2023. In 2023, he was elected President of the Society for Reproductive Investigation, and in 2026 he was named incoming President of the International DOHaD Society. He has contributed to global research and policy initiatives with organizations including UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and Nature Medicine, helping to shape international strategies to improve maternal and child health and address the long-term impacts of early-life adversity.
RESEARCH SYNOPSIS:
Keywords: Developmental neuroendocrinology, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, Fetus, Programming, Behaviour, Endocrinology, Gene-environment interactions, Epigenetics, Drug transport, Multidrug resistance, Placenta, Blood-brain barrier, Hippocampus.
OFFICE OF NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS:
Past President: Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI)
President-Elect: International Society of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
Founding Past President: DOHaD Canada