Stephen F. Matheson, Ph.D.

Education
B.S. 1984, University of Arizona. Major Subjects: Cellular and Developmental Biology and Mathematics
M.S. 1990, Rutgers University/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School. Major Subject: Toxicology
Ph.D. 1996, University of Arizona. Major Subject: Neuroscience

Experience
2022-present, Associate Editorial Director, PLOS, San Francisco, CA.
2018-2022, Editor-In-Chief, Cell Reports, Cell Press, Cambridge, MA.
2017-2018, Deputy Editor, Cell Reports, Cell Press, Cambridge, MA.
2012-2017, Assistant/Associate/Senior Scientific Editor, Cell Reports, Cell Press, Cambridge, MA.
2011-2012, Freelance Scientific Editor, Cactus Communications, Trevose, PA.
2009, Interim Assistant Dean, Van Andel Institute Graduate School, Grand Rapids, MI.
2002-2011, Visiting Scientist and Adjunct Instructor, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI.
2001-2011, Assistant/Associate Professor, Biology Department, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI.
2000-2001, Teaching Assistant, Biology Department, Boston College.
1999-2001, Research Fellow in Medicine (Pathology), Massachusetts General Hospital, Research
Fellow in Neurology, Harvard Medical School.
1996-1999, Research Fellow in Medicine (Neurology), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Research Fellow
in Neurology, Harvard Medical School.
1992-1996, Graduate Research Associate, Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona.
1991-1992, Graduate Research Assistant/Associate, Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona.
1989-1990, Graduate Fellow/Teaching Assistant, Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona.
1986-1989, Graduate Fellow, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rutgers University.
1984-1986, Research Technician, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arizona.

Articles (peer-reviewed)
Regulation of axonal caliber, neurofilament content and nuclear localization in mature sensory neurons
by nerve growth factor. (1991) B.G. Gold, W.C. Mobley and S.F. Matheson. J. Neurosci.
11:943-955.
Steroid hormone enhancement of neurite outgrowth in identified insect motor neurons involves specific
effects on growth cone form and function.. (1999) S.F. Matheson and R.B. Levine J. Neurobiol.
38:27-45.
Differential antigen expression during metamorphosis in the tripartite olfactory system of the African
clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. (1999) M.A. Petti, S.F. Matheson and G.D. Burd. Cell Tissue Res.
297:383-396.
The adhesion signaling molecule p190 RhoGAP is required for morphogenetic processes in neural
development. (2000) M.R. Brouns, S.F. Matheson, I Delalle, V.S. Caviness, Jr., J. Silver, R.T.
Bronson and J. Settleman. Development 127:4891-4903.
p190 RhoGAP is the major Src substrate in brain and regulates axon outgrowth, guidance, and
fasciculation. (2001) M.R. Brouns*, S.F. Matheson* and J. Settleman. Nature Cell Biol.
3:361-367. (*co-first authors)
Articles (continued)
Modulation of CREB activity by the Rho GTPase regulates cell and organism size during mouse
embryonic development. (2002) R. Sordella, M. Classon, K.-Q. Hu, S.F. Matheson, M.R. Brouns,
B. Fine, L. Zhang, H. Takami, Y. Yamada and J. Settleman. Dev. Cell 2:553-565.
Distinct but overlapping functions for the closely related p190 RhoGAPs in neural development. (2006)
S.F. Matheson, K.Q. Hu, M.R. Brouns, R. Sordella, J.D. VanderHeide and J. Settleman. Dev.
Neurosci. 28:538-550.
BlastEd: integrating biology and computation. (2008) J. Adams, S. Matheson and R. Pruim. J.
Computing Sciences in Colleges 24:47-54.
5q– myelodysplastic syndromes: chromosome 5q genes direct a tumor-suppression network sensing
actin dynamics. (2009) K.M. Eisenmann, K.J. Dykema, S.F. Matheson, N.F. Kent, A.D. DeWard,
R.A. West, R. Tibes, K.A. Furge and A.S. Alberts. Oncogene 28:3429–3441.
The role of formins in human disease. (2010) A.D. DeWard, K.M. Eisenmann, S.F. Matheson and A.S.
Alberts. Biochim Biophys Acta 1803:226-233.

Other publications (selected)

Review: Beyond the Firmament. (2008) Reports of the National Center for Science Education 28:37-38.
They selected teosinte and got corn…excellent! (2008) In The Open Laboratory: The Best Science
Writing on Blogs 2007 (R. Cartwright, Ed.). Lulu.com.
Finches, bah! What about Darwin’s tomatoes? (2009) In The Open Laboratory: The Best Science
Writing on Blogs 2008 (J. Rohn, Ed.). Lulu.com.
Bacteria Evolve with No Limit in Sight. (2014) Cell 156:1119-1121.
Sorting Out Complex Thoughts and Messy Emotions. (2017) Cell 169:1157.

Grants and Awards

National Institutes of Health, Individual Postdoctoral National Research Service Award, 1996.
National Science Foundation, MRI Grant, 2003. Acquisition of a Flow Cytometer for Cell Biology
Research and Undergraduate Research Training. Co-principal investigator.
National Insitutes of Health, R15 AREA Grant, 2004. Roles of Diaphanous-Related Formins in Neurite
Outgrowth. Principal investigator.
National Science Foundation, MRI Grant, 2004. Acquisition of a Fluorescence Microscope and Imaging
System for Faculty Research and Undergraduate Research Training. Principal investigator.
National Science Foundation, MRI Grant, 2005. Acquisition of Electrophysiology Patch-Clamp
Equipment to Support Cross-Disciplinary Research and Undergraduate Research Training.
Co-principal investigator.

Teaching and leadership

Current co-organizer and co-leader of Scientific Writing Retreat (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Former editor of CrossTalk, the Cell Press blog
Taught graduate course (Van Andel Institute Graduate School): Leukemia
Created instructor’s manual for Van Andel Institute Graduate School
Designed/developed new courses and modules (Calvin College): Developmental biology, research in
developmental neurobiology, minds/brains/consciousness, stem cells, Tuskegee experiment, genetic
engineering
Presented numerous extracurricular lectures to various audiences
Received exemplary teaching evaluations