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In Memoriam |
Matt received his PhD in Biology at the University of Virginia in 1985. He
then went on to conduct postdoctoral work with Larry Ewing at Hopkins' School
of Hygiene and Public Health, from 1985 to 1990. When Matt completed his
postdoctoral, he left Baltimore for New York City for the position of Staff
Scientist at the Population Council. He was promoted rapidly through the ranks
at the Population Council, becoming a Scientist (equivalent to Associate
Professor) in 1997, and then Senior Scientist (equivalent to Professor) about
3 years later. He also held joint appointments at The Rockefeller University
and at Weill Cornell Medical
College.
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Matt became internationally recognized for his innovative, groundbreaking studies on the origin and development of Leydig cells in the mammalian testis. In a series of what have become classic papers, he conducted analyses of the development of the adult population of Leydig cells from Leydig cell precursors, demonstrating the sequence of events that occur to form the adult population, and the mechanisms by which the sequence is regulated. Along the way, he made the counterintuitive observation that androgen itself is involved in the differentiation of Leydig cell precursors, a critical and now well-accepted observation. He also elucidated in detail the role of lutenizing hormone (LH) in both the short-term and long-term regulation of Leydig cells. Over time, the studies involved morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular methodologies, a hallmark of Matt's scientific style; he always did whatever was necessary to answer questions, not restricting himself to what was comfortable.
While continuing to work on Leydig cell development, and most recently on Leydig stem cells, Matt studied developmental changes in LH and androgen receptor expression, the differential expression and regulation of steroidogenic enzymes, Leydig cell proliferation and its regulation, the role of paracrine factors (primarily growth factors) in Leydig function, aging and stress effects on Leydig cells, mechanisms through which reproductive toxicants impact testicular function and puberty, and the role of neonatal hypothyroidism on Leydig cell numbers and function. In all, Matt authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications, coauthored a very well-known and highly cited book (The Leydig Cell), and published about 35 chapters. His creativity and high level of productivity contributed to his being named the 2000 Young Andrologist by the American Society of Andrology.
Matt exhibited a unique ability to understand the clinical implications of many of his observations and played a pivotal role in the development of future clinician-scientists. He routinely contributed to medical studies at Cornell, documenting that even men with small testes maintained their quantitative complement of Leydig cells, compared with normal men.
Matt lived his belief in contributing to science in its broadest sense, including service to scientific societies. He chaired ASA's Bylaws Committee (1995–1997), was elected to the ASA Executive Council (1998–2001), and cochaired the Membership Committee (2001–2002). His quiet, capable leadership as Chair of the Testis Workshop Executive Committee (2005–2007) has facilitated the rewarding relationship between the Testis Workshop and ASA. Having served on our editorial board (1998–2001), Matt was selected to become Co-Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Andrology (2002–2007). Together with Peter Schlegel, he significantly enhanced the reputation and scope of our journal. Throughout all these activities, he brought a clarity of vision and a sense of ethics rarely seen in our community. It was fitting, then, that he was to be recognized with the ASA Distinguished Service Award at the upcoming 2008 ASA Annual Meeting.
Matt's service activities extended beyond the ASA. He was Chair of the Bylaws Committee of SSR (1998–2000) and a member of the editorial boards of Archives of Andrology, Biology of Reproduction, Endocrinology, and Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. At the time of his death, he was serving as a member of the Cellular, Molecular and Integrative Reproduction Study Section (CMIR), among his other study section activities.
On a personal level, virtually anyone would describe Matt in the following way: If one did not like and respect Matt, then they must not like people or respect anyone! Matt was a wonderful human being, one who was kind, helpful to anyone (he never recognized a "pecking order"), willing to give without expecting anything in return. His decency and civility were evident regardless of the circumstances. He possessed the rarest of qualities: He was a person who did not wait to be asked when there was need, but rather volunteered. He was a wonderful, patient teacher and fine mentor. He was highly principled, strong, consistent, and ever thoughtful of others. He served without making noise, without calling attention to himself. He had become an outstanding scientific leader who knew how to make hard decisions and to enlist others. He shared his science and his dreams with his lifelong partner, Dianne. He will be sorely missed by his father, brother, sister, wife, and his many friends.
This article has been cited by other articles:
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  W. E. Berndtson The Importance and Validity of Technical Assumptions Required for Quantifying Sperm Production Rates: A Review J Androl, January 1, 2011; 32(1): 2 - 14. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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