Matthew J. Martin, MD

Matthew J. Martin, MD, FACS, is an acute care surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC who specializes in performing lifesaving procedures that give patients the best chance of recovery after a traumatic injury or critical illness. Dr. Martin maintains an active clinical practice in upper GI and general surgery, specializing in advanced laparoscopy, robotics and bariatric surgery. He is also director of research for acute care surgery.

Dr. Martin received his medical degree from Boston University; did his residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA; and completed a fellowship in trauma and surgical critical care at Los Angeles General Medical Center. Today, he also serves as chief of emergency general surgery at Los Angeles General Medical Center’s division of trauma and acute care surgery.

In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Martin is a clinical scholar and professor of surgery in the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Dr. Martin’s research has included a focus on how combat impacts military service members. During his time as a colonel with the U.S. Army, he founded a grant-funded trauma research laboratory at Madigan Army Medical Center. He also was the chief editor and co-author of a textbook on combat trauma management titled “Front Line Surgery.” He retired from the Army in 2018.

Dr. Martin’s military experience included five combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He served in a variety of leadership roles ranging from commander of a Forward Surgical Team to chief medical officer responsible for all surgical teams in Iraq and Syria. He also represented the army as a member of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.