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Matthew J. Thurtell, MBBS, MSc

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Current Positions

  • Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
  • Associate Professor of Neurology
  • Director, Neuro-Ophthalmology Service, Ophthalmology
  • The Captain Jim and Donnita Gross Fund Professor, Ophthalmology

Education

  • BS in Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • MBBS in Medicine and Surgery, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • MSc in Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • Internship, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia
  • Resident in Internal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
  • Fellow in FRACP, Written & Clinical Examinations, Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Sydney, Australia
  • Resident in Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
  • Fellow in FRACP, Advanced Training in Neurology, Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Sydney, Australia
  • Fellow in Neuro-Ophthalmology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
  • Fellow in Clinical Neuro-Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Research Interests

  • Research Interests: Eye-movement disorders, Eye movement kinematics, Clinical neuro-ophthalmology, Clinical neuro-otology
  • Eye movement perimetry
  • Medical and surgical treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension
  • Optical coherence tomography in optic neuropathy, chiasmal compression, and papilledema
  • Clinical neuro-ophthalmology
  • Eye movement disorders and their treatment
  • Eye Movement Kinematics

Licenses & Certifications

  • Iowa Medical License, Iowa Board of Medicine, Iowa
  • Australian Specialist Registration, Medical Board of Australia

Selected Publications

  • Fortenbach CR, Whitmore SS, Thurtell MJ, Sohn EH, Critser DB, Stone EM, Folk JC, Han IC, Boyce TM. (2024). Retinal sublayer analysis in autoimmune retinopathy and identification of new optical coherence tomography phenotypes. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 32(5):727-734. DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2023.2199334. PMID: 37084288.
  • Boyce TM, Fortenbach C, Thurtell M, Stone EM, Han IC. (2025). Split Outer Plexiform Layer Appearance Represents an Acquired Cone Dysfunction Phenotype of Autoimmune Retinopathy. Retina 45(3):522-531. DOI: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004332. PMID: 39964825.
  • Yom KH, Simmons BA, Hock LE, Syed NA, Carter KD, Thurtell MJ, Shriver EM. (2022). A direct transcutaneous approach to infraorbital nerve biopsy. Orbit 41(1):130-137. DOI: 10.1080/01676830.2021.1920041. PMID: 33951986.
  • Thurtell, M. J. (2019). Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) 25 (5) 1289-1309. DOI: 10.1212/CON.0000000000000770. PMID: 31584538.
  • Wall, M., Subramani, A., Chong, L. X., Galindo, R., Turpin, A., Kardon, R. H., Thurtell, M. J., Bailey, J. A. & Marin-Franch, I. (2019). Threshold Static Automated Perimetry of the Full Visual Field in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 60 (6) 1898-1905. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-26252. PMID: 31042797.
  • Thurtell, M. J. & Tomsak, R. L. (2019). What do I do now? Neuro-ophthalmology. (2nd Ed) New York: Oxford.
  • Islam, M. S., Wang, J., Johnson, S. S., Thurtell, M. J., Kardon, R. H. & Garvin, M. (2019). Deep Learning Based Retinal Blood Vessel Segmentation of Multiple Optical Coherence Tomography En-Face Images in Cases of Optic Disc Swelling. (Vols. 60). (9) INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE.
  • Wall, M., Subramani, A., Chong, L. X., Galindo, R., Turpin, A., Kardon, R. H., Thurtell, M. J., Jane, B. & Marin-Franch, I. (2019). Detection of Visual Loss in IIH with Static Automated Perimetry: Temporal Wedge Defects. (Vols. 60). (9) INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE.
  • Cheng, J. L., Beebe, J. D., Nepple, K. G., Zakharia, Y., Mullins, R. F., Flamme-Wiese, M. J., Thurtell, M. J. & Han, I. C. (2018). Autoimmune retinopathy and optic neuropathy associated with enolase-positive renal oncocytoma. (Vols. 12). pp. 55-60. American journal of ophthalmology case reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2018.09.005. PMID: 30229140. PMCID: PMC6140802.
  • Buckingham, E. M., Foley, M. A., Grose, C., Syed, N. A., Smith, M. E., Margolis, T. P., Thurtell, M. J. & Kardon, R. (2018). Identification of Herpes Zoster-Associated Temporal Arteritis Among Cases of Giant Cell Arteritis. American journal of ophthalmology 187 51-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2017.12.017. PMID: 29294312. PMCID: PMC5866091.