UF Health diabetes researcher to lead department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Dr. Clay Mathews

A University of Florida Health researcher whose expertise is in immune-mediated diseases has been named chair of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, following a national search.

His appointment will be effective Sept. 1.

Clayton Mathews, Ph.D., is currently the Sebastian Family Professor for Diabetes Research and associate chair of the UF College of Medicine’s Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine. In addition, he is the director of the Center for Immunology and Transplantation and the Center for Cellular Reprogramming. In these capacities he has supported faculty research efforts across the University of Florida, including the College of Veterinary Medicine.

A member of the UF College of Medicine faculty since 2008, he also holds joint appointments in the departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Pediatrics. Before coming to UF, he spent seven years on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mathews’ UF research is supported by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health. The goal is to understand the mechanisms of immune-mediated diseases. For over 25 years, his major research focus has been on autoimmune diabetes, a disease that afflicts humans, dogs, and cats.

His research endeavors have resulted in more than 150 peer-reviewed publications as well as numerous book chapters, invited reviews, hypothesis papers, and abstracts.

Mathews has been highly active in education and mentoring. He co-directed the Immunology and Microbiology Concentration of the UF biomedical sciences graduate program from 2001-2009, providing leadership in new curriculum development and positively impacting career development of UF trainees. In 2008, he developed and implemented what has become a highly successful grant writing course for graduate students and has mentored new faculty in the successful submission of grant applications. In addition, he has mentored dozens of graduate students and fellows, and has served on numerous graduate student committees over the past 23 years.

Mathews completed his doctorate at the University of Georgia in 1997 in the field of foods and nutrition. After receiving his Ph.D., Mathews completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Julie Moore, Ph.D., who chaired the veterinary college’s IDI department for six years, is leaving her administrative role to return to research at the college.

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Mathews to our administrative team, and know the department will continue to grow and thrive under his leadership,” said the college’s dean, Dana Zimmel, D.V.M.