Top Neuroscientist Matthew Anderson Appointed Co-Director of the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre

Renowned US Neuroscientist and Harvard Professor brings extensive expertise in academia and industry to advance rare disease research

OXFORD, England and CLEVELAND, Feb. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre ('OHC'), a partnership between the University of Oxford, UK and Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, aimed at driving cutting-edge rare disease breakthroughs, announces the appointment of Matthew Anderson, MD, PhD, as co-Director. Dr. Anderson will work alongside Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Matthew Wood, to drive the OHC's mission to deliver new treatments for the nearly half a billion people affected by rare diseases worldwide, with an initial goal of advancing 40 new medicines for rare diseases into clinical development in the next decade. In addition to serving as Co-Director of the OHC, Dr. Anderson will be an Investigator in the Harrington Discovery Institute and a Professor in the Department of Pathology at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Anderson brings a wealth of scientific and clinical research and translational medicine experience to his role at the OHC from a distinguished career in academia and industry. Prior to joining the OHC, he served as Vice President of Research and Preclinical Development, and Head of the Neuroscience Therapeutic Focus Area at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. Previously, Dr. Anderson served as the Chief of the Neuropathology Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA), running a productive research program yielding breakthroughs in neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neurodevelopmental diseases including epilepsy and autism.

Dr. Anderson received MD and PhD degrees from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. For his PhD in Physiology and Biophysics, working under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Welsh, one of the United States' preeminent physician scientists and member of Harrington Discovery Institute's Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Anderson produced seminal studies on the function of the CFTR chloride channel that is mutated in cystic fibrosis. Subsequently, he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship studying ion channels that contribute to epilepsy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), under the mentorship of Nobel Laureate Dr. Susumu Tonegawa.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Anderson said: "I am both honored and excited to join the OHC as Co-Director. Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to advancing our understanding of neuroscience and applying this knowledge to improving patient outcomes. The OHC's dedication to groundbreaking research and innovation aligns perfectly with my own passion for translating cutting-edge science into real-world therapeutic solutions. This is particularly relevant to rare diseases where there is an urgent need for new therapies. I look forward to working with the OHC's talented team and its extensive networks to further our collective mission to make a significant and lasting impact to patients and their loved ones."

Matthew Wood, OHC's Director and Chief Scientific Officer, and Professor of Neuroscience in Oxford's Department of Paediatrics, added: "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Matt as Co-Director of the OHC. His exceptional expertise, spanning academia and industry, particularly in the fields of neurological diseases – a key focus area for the OHC – will be invaluable to our mission to deliver 40 new treatments for rare diseases over the next decade. This unique US-UK partnership is at the heart of what makes the OHC a leader in rare disease research, and Matt's leadership will strengthen our ability to address the critical unmet needs of rare disease patients around the world."

Jonathan Stamler, MD, President and Co-Founder, Harrington Discovery Institute, added: "Matt Anderson brings experience, new ideas, and leadership into the OHC. Together, the co-leadership team of Matthew Wood at Oxford and Matt Anderson at Harrington Discovery Institute will enable exciting and powerful synergies between the transatlantic partners to advance innovative approaches to deliver new treatments for rare diseases."

SOURCE Harrington Discovery Institute