Matthew M. Heeney, MD

Department	Hematology/Oncology
Hospital Title	Associate Chief, Hematology; Director, Sickle Cell Program
Academic Title	Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Phone	617-355-7700
Fax	617-730-0641
Email	Matthew Heeney
Location	300 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115

Research Overview

Dr. Heeney conducts clinical research focused on sickle cell disorders and their treatment. He has been the Children's Hospital Boston Principal Investigator for several clinical trial consortia including the former Boston Sickle Cell Disease Research Network (SCDCRN), and Boston Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center (CSCC). He is also the Site Investigator for the multicenter SWiTCH and TWiTCH trials which are exploring the use of Hydroxyurea as an alternative to chronic transfusion for stroke prevention. He is also involved in early phase trials of prasugrel and regadenoson in sickle cell disease.

Dr. Heeney also conducts translational research in inherited disorders of iron homeostasis in humans. In particular he is interested in investigating the genetic basis inherited disorders of iron deficiency, sideroblastic anemia and iron overload.

Goals of Dr. Heeney's work include: to improve the understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of sickle cell anemia through multicenter clinical trials and to elucidate the genetic basis of iron homeostasis and its role in human disease.

About Matthew Heeney

Dr. Heeney received his MD at the University of Calgary, Alberta, completed his residency at Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University, and a pediatric hemotology/oncology fellowship at Duke University.

Key Publications

Manuscripts

• Heeney MM. Howard TA. Zimmerman SA. Ware RE. UGT1A Promoter Polymorphisms Influence Bilirubin Response Hydroxyurea Therapy in Sickle Cell Anemia. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine. 141(4): 279-282, 2003.

• Heeney MM. Whorton MR. Howard TA. Johnson CA. Ware RE. Chemical and Functional Analysis of Hydroxyurea Oral Solutions. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. 26 (3): 179-184, 2004.

• Heeney MM. Andrews NC. Iron Homeostasis and Inherited Iron Overload Disorders: An overview. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America. 18(6): 1379-403, 2004.

• Finberg KE. Heeney MM. Campagna DR. Aydinok Y. Pearson HA. Hartman KR. Mayo MM. Samuel SM. Strouse JJ. Markianos K. Andrews NC. Fleming MD. Mutations in TMPRSS6 cause iron-refractory iron deficiency Anemia (IRIDA). Nature Genetics. 40(5): 485-682. 2008.

• Heeney MM, Ware RE. Hydroxyurea for Children with Sickle Cell Disease. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America. 24(1):199-214, 2010.

• Sobota A, Graham DA, Heeney MM, Neufeld EJ. Corticosteroids for Acute Chest Syndrome in Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Variation in Use and Association with Length of Stay and Readmission. American Journal of Hematology. 2010 Jan; 85(1):24-8.

• Strouse JJ, Heeney MM. Hydroxyurea for the treatment of sickle cell disease: Efficacy, barriers, toxicity, and management in children. 2012:59(2): 365–371.

Textbooks

• Dover GJ. Heeney MM. Sickle Cell Disease. In Nathan and Oski’s Hematology of Infancy and Childhood, 7th Edition (Nathan DG, Orkin SH, Ginsburg D, Look AT. Editors) Philadelphia: WB Saunders 2008; 949-1014.

• Steinberg MH. Ohene-Frempong K. Heeney MM. Clinical and Pathophysiological Aspects of Sickle Cell Anemia. In: Disorders of Hemoglobin: Genetics, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Management, 2nd Edition (Steinberg MH, Forget BG, Higgs DR, Weatherall DJ. Editors). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2009; 437-496.

• Bunn HF, Heeney MM. Iron Homeostasis: Deficiency and Overload. In: Pathophysiology of Blood Disorders, 1st Edition (Bunn HF, Aster JC Editors) New York: McGraw-Hill. 2010; 51-62.

• Heeney MM. Iron Deficiency Anemia: Definition, Pathophysiology and Classification. In: Rudolph’s Pediatrics, 22nd Edition (Rudolph AM, Rudolph C, First L, Lister G, Gershon AA. Editors) New York: McGraw-Hill. 2011; 1546-1548.

• Heeney MM. Anemia: Definition, Pathophysiology and Classification. In: Rudolph’s Pediatrics, 22nd Edition (Rudolph AM, Rudolph C, First L, Lister G, Gershon AA. Editors) New York: McGraw-Hill. 2011; 1542-1546.