Click here for Matt’s C.V. (current as of January 2024).

Matt Carter is Associate Professor of Biology at Williams College, where he teaches courses in neuroscience and physiology. Matt’s lab studies how the brain regulates food intake and sleep, and his research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. At Williams, Matt is also the Director of the Rice Center for Teaching, which provides opportunities for faculty to learn and grow in their craft of teaching. In 2024, Matt is serving as the co-Chair of the Hypothalamus Gordon Research Conference (GRC). 

Matt received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Whitman College. He completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Stanford University working with Luis de Lecea, where he studied the role of various neuronal populations (including hypocretin neurons and the locus coeruleus) in sleep/wake behavior. He then pursued postdoctoral training with Dr. Richard Palmiter at the University of Washington, where he identified neurons in the parabrachial nucleus that suppress appetite.

At Williams, Matt enjoys pursuing research on the neurobiology of feeding and sleep behavior with undergraduates. In addition to publishing original work in scientific journals, he is the author of Designing Science Presentations, a book on science communication, and Guide to Research Techniques in Neuroscience, which surveys commonly used neuroscience methods. He has received the Nelson Bushnell Award for Excellence in Teaching from Williams College, the Walter Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching from Stanford University, the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, and the Young Investigator Award from the Sleep Research Society. In his spare time, Matt is a film buff and enjoys watching all kinds of movies.