About
Matthew Nielsen, MD received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the Brady Urological Institute of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. After residency, Dr. Nielsen served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins prior to joining the UNC Urology faculty in 2009. In addition to his position as Rhodes Distinguished Professor and Chair of the UNC Department of Urology, Dr. Nielsen also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Health Policy & Management at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Dr. Nielsen’s clinical practice is focused in urologic oncology—in particular, the treatment of bladder and prostate cancer. He is a member of the integrated Multidisciplinary Genitourinary Oncology Group at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, serving as Director of the Division of Urologic Oncology from 2013-2018. Dr. Nielsen is committed to providing compassionate, individualized, patient-centered care, and has been selected by his peers to be named among the Best Doctors in America in Urology since 2013. He received the UNC Health Care Physician Friend of Nursing Award in 2017 and the H. Fleming Fuller Award in 2022. His research in medical decision making, cancer care quality and treatment outcomes has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and The American Cancer Society, and nationally recognized by the Rising Stars in Urology Research Award.
Alongside his clinical, research and teaching activities, Dr. Nielsen is actively engaged in quality improvement and patient safety efforts. He previously served as Associate Director of the UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement and currently is Director of Quality for UNC Faculty Physicians. He has been a national leader in this sphere with the American Urological Association since 2012, currently coordinating activities across the QI/Patient Safety, Data and Practice Guidelines Committees as AUA Science and Quality Council Chair. Nielsen served the American College of Physicians’ High Value Care Task Force and Performance Measurement Committee, and was appointed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Technical Expert Panel for the CMS Quality Measure Development Plan and Quality Measure Index. He currently serves on the National Quality Forum Diagnostic Excellence Committee and was selected as a Fellow in Diagnostic Excellence with the National Academy of Medicine.
Specialties
Urologic Oncology
Urology and Urologic Surgery
Board Certifications
Urology – Board Certified
Publications
Academic Interests
Health services research, quality improvement and patient safety, and delivery system science
Education
Postgraduate: MS, Clinical Research, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 2012
Residency: Urology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, 2003-2008
Residency: General Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, 2002-2003
MD: The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 1998-2002
Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Nielsen
UNC Urology Medical Center Office
UNC Urology NC Cancer Hospital Office
UNC Urologic Oncology at REX
Refer a Patient to Dr. Nielsen
Medical professionals interested in referring a patient please visit our Refer a Patient page for more information.
News
4 weeks ago
Supporting the Whole Survivor: Nielsen Joins NCI-Funded Collaboration to Reduce Cancer-Related Distress in Young Adults
UNC Urology’s Dr. Matthew Nielsen joins a new NCI-funded project led by the University of Michigan to develop a mobile support tool that reduces distress in young adult cancer survivors.
1 month ago
Dr. Matthew Nielsen Leads National Efforts to Advance Diagnostic Excellence in Prostate Cancer
Dr. Matthew Nielsen leads national conversations on advancing diagnostic excellence in prostate cancer, emphasizing imaging quality, interdisciplinary collaboration, and addressing disparities. Explore insights shaping the future of urologic care.
