Matthew Riley is a clinician pursuing a career as a clinical academic in infectious diseases. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Liverpool, attaining a medical degree with commendation in 2016. He has worked as a resident doctor in Liverpool since then, completing foundation and internal medicine training. Matthew’s clinical and research interests focus on viral haemorrhagic fever viruses, particularly their impact on haemostasis and patient outcomes.

He completed the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) in 2020, achieving distinction. Following completion of Internal Medicine Training in 2023 he moved away from full-time clinical training to pursue his research interests. He completed an MRes in Tropical Health and Infectious Disease Research at LSTM, supervised by Professor Tom Fletcher. Matthew’s research project focused on haemostatic dysfunction in haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Slovenia, combining systematic review and retrospective cohort study methodologies. He graduated with distinction in December 2024.

Following the MRes, he worked as a research consultant within the Global Health Trials Unit at LSTM, continuing his research into haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and maintaining collaboration with research partners in Slovenia. In February 2025, I enrolled as a PhD student at LSTM with Professor Fletcher as his primary supervisor. His PhD research project is primarily focused on applying novel techniques to further investigate the mechanisms underlying haemostatic dysfunction in haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

On completion of his PhD, he aims to complete higher specialist clinical training in Infectious Diseases and General Internal Medicine in Liverpool, continuing his research activities alongside this.

Matthew’s research focuses on viral haemorrhagic fevers, with a particular emphasis on understanding the mechanisms of haemostatic dysfunction in these infections. His PhD investigates haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by various hantaviruses in Europe and Asia. Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome can lead to varying degrees of bleeding, though the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

The primary aim of his PhD is to characterise the loss of haemostasis in haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome using thromboelastography in a prospective cohort study in Slovenia. By assessing clot formation and breakdown in real-time, he aims to define the specific coagulation abnormalities associated with haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. A better understanding of these processes could inform future clinical trials to identify targeted therapeutic interventions that may reduce morbidity and mortality in affected patients.

Beyond his PhD, Matthew is involved in research on other viral haemorrhagic fevers, including Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever and Ebola virus disease. He also has planned research in the pipeline on Alkhurma haemorrhagic fever, a haemorrhagic fever virus endemic to Saudi Arabia on which very little is known.

Matthew’s research seeks to characterise the clinical presentation and disease severity of viral haemorrhagic fevers while identifying key pathophysiological pathways that could serve as targets for novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. The overarching goal is to improve the clinical management by bridging the gap between mechanistic research and patient care, particularly in low-resource settings. Understanding the coagulation abnormalities associated with these infections may provide critical insights into disease progression and potential interventions.