Matt is a photobiologist working to understand how plants integrate light signals to optimize responses to abiotic stress. After completing his PhD with Prof. John Christie at the University of Glasgow (in which he characterized the photochemical activation of the phototropin family of photoreceptors), Matt moved to UC Davis to understand how the circadian system modulates plants photosensitivity with Prof. Stacey Harmer. Matt worked to understand how the circadian system perceives light, and identified the REVEILLE1 (RVE1) and RVE8 proteins as part of the circadian system. Matt also found that the histone demethylase JMJD5 plays a role in the plant circadian system, most notably under high light stress.