Matthew W. Urban

Matthew W. Urban is a Professor of Radiology and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Mayo Clinic. His primary affiliation is with the Department of Radiology and the Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering. He holds administrative roles as Associate Consultant II-Research in both departments.

Education: Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine; BS in Electrical Engineering from South Dakota State University.

Research Focus: Dr. Urban's work centers on ultrasound-based elasticity imaging technologies, particularly applying shear wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (SDUV) to assess kidney viscoelasticity in chronic kidney disease and transplant patients. His research also extends to vibro-acoustography, ultrasound signal processing, and non-invasive diagnostic methods. Supported by grants from NIH and others, his projects include measuring arterial material properties and developing ultrasound markers for breast cancer.

Professional Highlights: Member of the Technical Committee on Biomedical Acoustics (Acoustical Society of America), Associate Editor for Medical Physics, and grant PI for projects like the Twinkle Biopsy Marker Initiative.

Grants & Collaborations: Active grants include NIH-funded studies on renal viscoelasticity (2012-2024), arterial mechanics (2019-2026), and biopsy marker development (2022-2025). Collaborations span institutions like the Mayo Clinic Polycystic Kidney Disease Center and international academic partners.

Labs & Teams: Leads research at the Imaging and Analysis Core within the Mayo Clinic Robert M. and Billie Kelley Pirnie Translational PKD Center. His team focuses on translating imaging innovations into clinical practice.