Matthew Alexander McMillin

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Neuroscience

Email

matthew.mcmillin@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Neuroscience: Education, Innovation, & Technology
Baylor College of Medicine
Temple, US

Education

PhD from Texas A&M University: 12/2013 - College Station, Texas United States; Neuroscience

BS from Baylor University: 12/2008 - Waco, Texas United States; Psychology

Honors & Awards

Monga-Hans Junior Faculty Scholar Award: American Society of Investigative Pathology (04/2021)

Outstanding Contribution Award: Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology (12/2019)

George K. Michalopoulos Junior Faculty Award: American Society of Investigative Pathology (04/2019)

Experimental Pathologist-in-Training (EPIT) Award: American Society of Investigative Pathology (06/2016)

Outstanding Predoctoral Poster Presentation: American Physiological Society (04/2012)

Professional Statement

Matthew McMillin is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine. He received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Texas A&M University where he investigated crosstalk between hedgehog and transforming growth factor beta signaling in liver injury, blood-brain barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Dr. McMillin’s postdoctoral studies in the field of hepatology investigated the role of neuropeptides and transforming growth factor beta signaling in liver pathology during toxin-induced acute liver failure and cholestatic liver disease. After becoming faculty, Dr. McMillin’s research program has focused on the mechanisms leading to dysregulation, and subsequent recovery, of hepatic and neural physiology during acute liver failure and cholestatic liver disease. Specifically, his program has been investigating the interaction between thrombospondin-1 and transforming growth factor beta 1 signaling in the context of hepatocyte necrosis, hepatic fibrosis, cellular senescence, blood-brain barrier function, neuroinflammation and neurological dysfunction. Outside of research, Dr. McMillin serves on the editorial board of neuroscience and hepatology journals including serving as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience.

Websites

Research Profile

Selected Publications

Petrescu A, Grant S, Williams E, An S, Seth N, Amundsen T, Tan C, Nadeem Y, Tjaha M, Weld L, Chu C, Venter J, Frampton G, McMillin M, DeMorrow S "Leptin Enhances Hepatic Fibrosis and Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Cholestasis." Am J Pathol. 2022 Mar;192(3):484-502.
Ozkan A, Stolley D, Cressman E, McMillin M, DeMorrow S, Yankeelov T, Rylander M "Tumor Microenvironment Alters Chemoresistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through CYP3A4 Metabolic Activity." Front Oncol. 2021 Jun 28;11
Rackayova V, Flatt E, Braissant O, Grosse J, Capobianco D, Mastromarino P, McMillin M, DeMorrow S, McLin V, Cudalbu C "Probiotics improve the neurometabolite profile of rats with chronic cholestatic liver disease." Sci Rep. 2021 Jan;11(1)
Frampton G, Reddy P, Jefferson B, Ali M, Khan D, McMillin M "Inhibition of thrombospondin-1 reduces glutathione activity and worsens acute liver injury during acetaminophen toxicity in mice.." Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2020 Dec;409

Petrescu A, Grant S, Williams E, Frampton G, Reinhart E, Nguyen A, An S, McMillin M, DeMorrow S "Ghrelin reverses ductular reaction and hepatic fibrosis in a rodent model of cholestasis." Sci Rep. 2020 Sep;10(1)
Ozkan A, Stolley D, Cressman ENK, McMillin M, DeMorrow S, Yankeelov TE, Rylander MN "The Influence of Chronic Liver Diseases on Hepatic Vasculature: A Liver-on-a-chip Review. Micromachines." Micromachines. 2020 May 9;11(5)
Petrescu A, Grant S, Williams E, Frampton G, Parks N, Blaney H, Davies M, John R, Reinhart ER, McMillin M, DeMorrow S "Co-ordinated targeting of galanin receptors on cholangiocytes and hepatic stellate cells ameliorates liver fibrosis in Mdr2-knockout mice." Am J Pathol. 2020 Mar;190(3):586-601.
Jefferson B, Ali M, Grant S, Frampton G, Ploof M, Andry S, DeMorrow S, McMillin M "Thrombospondin-1 exacerbates acute liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy pathology in mice by activating transforming growth factor beta 1." Am J Pathol. 2020 Feb;190(2):347-357.
Jaegar V, DeMorrow S, McMillin M "The Direct Contribution of Astrocytes and Microglia to the Pathogenesis of Hepatic Encephalopathy." J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2019 Dec 28;7(4):352-361.
McMillin M, Grant S, Frampton G, Petrescu A, Williams E, Jefferson B, DeMorrow S "The TGFβ1 receptor antagonist GW788388 reduces JNK activation and protects against acetaminophen hepatotoxicity in mice." Toxicol Sci. 2019 May;170(2):549-561.
McMillin M, Grant S, Frampton G, Petrescu A, Williams E, Jefferson B, Thomas A, Brahmaroutu A, DeMorrow S "Elevated circulating TGFβ1 during acute liver failure activates TGFβR2 on cortical neurons and exacerbates neuroinflammation and hepatic encephalopathy in mice." J Neuroinflammation. 2019 Apr;16(1)