Matthew J. Ferris, MD
Medical Director, Maryland Proton Treatment Center; Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
Dr. Ferris’ areas of interest at the University of Maryland is focused on optimizing advanced radiation techniques, including proton therapy, to maximize control of malignancies while sparing side effects and improving long-term patient reported outcomes. His research has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications and has yielded oral presentations at national and international conferences. He also has keen interest in clinical trial development and enrollment.
Overall, Dr. Ferris strives to work closely with the entire treatment team, including surgeon and medical oncology colleagues, to offer cutting edge and tailored treatment for each patient. He prizes meticulousness and attention to detail throughout each patient’s course of radiation therapy.
Special Interests: Head and neck cancers, thoracic cancers and skin cancers
Medical Degree: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Residency: Emory University
Certification: Radiation Oncology
To learn more about Dr. Ferris, please view the video below.
Education and Training
- Undergraduate: Loyola University Maryland, 2010
- Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine, 2014
- Internship: Emory University, 2015
- Residency: Emory University, 2019
Biosketch
Dr. Matthew J. Ferris is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland. His primary practice locations include University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, University of Maryland Medical Center, and the Maryland Proton Treatment Center. He has broad clinical interests that encompass treatment for most malignant and non-malignant tumors, and use of advanced radiation techniques.
Dr. Ferris grew up in Towson, MD. He completed his undergraduate studies in 2010 at Loyola University Maryland where he majored in Biology, with minors in Business and English. He was elected a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He graduated from the University of Maryland Medical School in 2014, and there was elected a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
In 2015 he completed a medical internship at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and then he continued on at Emory for residency training in radiation oncology, which concluded in 2019. He served as Chief Resident during his final year of training. During residency, he conducted clinical research in several areas including: cardiac-sparing radiation planning techniques such as cardiac-optimized volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity modulated proton therapy, implications of radiation dose to the heart, and effects of radiation dose to the central nervous system on patient symptoms in head and neck cancer.
His research has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications and has yielded oral presentations at national and international conferences. Dr. Ferris’ ongoing research at the University of Maryland is focused on optimizing advanced radiation techniques to maximize control of malignancies while sparing side effects and improving long-term patient reported outcomes.
Overall, Dr. Ferris strives to work closely with the entire treatment team, including surgeon and medical oncology colleagues, to offer cutting edge and tailored treatment for each patient. One of the main focuses in his practice at UM Upper Chesapeake is to bring availability of world-class cancer treatment options including proton beam therapy to the residents of Harford County. He prizes meticulousness and attention to detail throughout each patient’s course of radiation therapy.
In his spare time he enjoys surfing, golfing, hunting, and travelling with his wife.
Research/Clinical Keywords
General Radiation Oncology, Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), Oligometastatic Disease, High Dose Rate, Brachytherapy, Proton Beam Therapy
Highlighted Publications
• MJ Ferris, KS Martin, JM Switchenko, OA Kayode, J Wolf, Q Dang, RH Press, WJ Curran, and KA Higgins. Sparing cardiac substructures with optimized volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity-modulated proton therapy in thoracic radiation for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Practical Radiation Oncology 2019. E-pub ahead of print, April 2019.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prro.2019.04.013
• MJ Ferris, Y Liu, J Ao, J Zhong, M Abugideiri, TW Gillespie, BC Carthon, MA Bilen, O Kucuk, and AB Jani. The addition of chemotherapy in the definitive management of high-risk prostate cancer. Urologic Oncology 2018; 36(11).
doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2018.07.020
• MJ Ferris, R Jiang, M Behera, S Ramalingam, WJ Curran, and KA Higgins. Radiation therapy is associated with an increase in incidence of cardiac events for patients with small-cell lung cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys (Red Journal) 2018; 102: 383 – 390.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.05.066
• MJ Ferris, J Zhong, JM Switchenko, KA Higgins, RJ Cassidy, MW McDonald, BR Eaton, KR Patel, CE Steuer, HM Baddour Jr, AH Miller, DW Bruner, C Xiao, and JJ Beitler. Brainstem dose is associated with patient-reported acute fatigue in head and neck cancer radiotherapy. Radiotherapy and Oncology (Green Journal) 2018; 126: 100-106.
doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2017.08.008
