Mat Reeves
Born and raised
Birmingham, England
Favorite Movie and/or musical group/singer?
Music:
1970’s guitar and prog rock: Wishbone Ash, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Zepplin, Supertramp.
1980’s scar and punk: The Specials, The Beat, The Smiths.
Favorite Color?
Anything but black.
Favorite sport to play or watch?
To do: Cycling, cross-country skiing and swimming
To watch: Any type of football (old world and new world)
What do you like to do in your free time?
I work out regularly (5-6x/week). I spend a lot of time maintaining and fixing things – bicycles, motorbike, classic car, tractor, implements etc. I do a lot of DIY around the home and have a small wood working shop where I can build basic things (table tops, outdoor furniture, sheds, barns)
What is the most interesting/enjoyable place you have visited?
I have a real affinity for Australia especially Tasmania. I love the outdoor lifestyle, the blend of old world and new world sensibilities, and the no-nonsense attitude of the residents.
What is the most helpful advice you have received?
You know I am not sure but if I were to give out one piece of advice it would be that we should all study a topic we are passionate about, because this makes a small but critically important change from a “need to know” to “want to know”.
How did you become interested in your field? Was there a specific moment when you knew it was the right fit for you?
I originally trained as a veterinary surgeon. When I was 18 this seemed like a great fit. I really enjoyed my university training in the UK but after completing a 5 year internship and residency program (here in the US) I realized that working 50-60 hours a week in a surgical room and being on call overnight and at weekends was not going to be fulfilling or sustainable. But I had started to do some clinical research – I did not know it at the time but I was doing a case control study. Once I discovered what an epidemiologist did, I knew I wanted to become one. Once I discovered what an epidemiologist did, I knew I wanted to become one, and so I quickly took up the challenge to master the discipline.
What/who influenced you to select your area(s) of study and how has that impacted your career?
I have had several important mentors over the years, but the earlier ones are the most influential. A veterinary surgeon Bryan Hilbert was very instrumental in my early vet career. He worked with me to instill a sense of purpose, to tone down my excessive enthusiasm, improve my inter-personal communication skills, and helped me learn to write.
Describe your current research or area of interest
My work is at the intersection of chronic disease epidemiology, health services, and public health. I work on tracking and understanding stroke quality of care and outcomes using large registry datasets. I have a particular interest in stroke in women and work with several international groups on various collective advocacy projects.
I have reputation for rigorously applying epidemiologic and biostatistical principles to my work. This is encapsulated in my work as a technical reviewer for the journal Stroke -- I probably review 100 submitted articles a year, and I write about how to improve the quality of submitted papers.
What advice would you give to a student?
- The most important common denominator for all successful academics is that they work hard. You need to commit to putting the time and effort in.
- You must be able to communicate effectively. It does not matter how brilliant your work is, it won’t mean a thing unless other people can understand how it was done and why it is important.
- Research is a team science - you need to first join a research team, and then establish one of your own. The internet means that anyone anywhere could be a member of your team.
- The pursuit of excellence is never ending --- work every day to try to improve what you do.
- Learning should never stop. There are new skills and subject matter content to be learned every day.