Biography
Matthew J. Townsend, from Chappaqua, New York, is a gastroenterology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. His clinical and research interests focus on obesity-related gastrointestinal and liver disease, including the use of GLP1 agents in compensated cirrhosis. Supported by a Rhodes Scholarship in 2015-2017, he completed a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) and an M.Sc. in Medical Anthropology from the University of Oxford, both degrees earned with Distinction. He subsequently pursued his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and completed internal medicine training at Duke University Medical Center. As an undergraduate, Dr. Townsend majored in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, graduated summa cum laude, and was elected as a junior to Phi Beta Kappa. He was also a three-year starter on the Yale Varsity Basketball Team, where he was named the team's top defensive player. In his free time, he enjoys running marathons, rowing, and exploring locally with his wife and young kids.