Donald Mattison

1944 - 2026

Donald Mattison

April 28, 1944 - March 22, 2026

Columbia, South Carolina - Dr. Donald (Don) Roger Mattison, 81, of Columbia, died on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Don was born in Minneapolis in 1944 to Milford and Elizabeth Davey Mattison. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Chemistry from Augsburg University, followed by a Master of Science in Physical Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Don began his career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he conducted pioneering research. He went on to serve as a professor and clinician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, with a joint appointment as a researcher at the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR). He later became Dean of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

His career continued as Medical Director of the March of Dimes, followed by his role as Senior Advisor to the Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Over more than 20 years of service in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), Don responded to Hurricane Katrina and served aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy, ultimately retiring with the rank of Captain.

After retiring from NIH, Don was Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Risk Sciences International in Ottawa, Ontario. During this time, he held academic affiliations as Associate Director of the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment and Adjunct Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. He later served as Distinguished Professor of Health Sciences at the University of South Carolina from 2021 to 2023.

His research spanned reproductive toxicology, pharmacology, adverse drug events, and sex and gender differences in health. Over the course of his career, Don published more than 400 scientific papers and both authored and edited several books.

He was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and an Elected Foreign Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, London.

Even in retirement, Don continued to care for others, volunteering as a physician in free clinics in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Hilton Head, South Carolina. He was known for asking himself at the end of each day, "What have I done for others?"

Don will be remembered for his kindness, quick wit, and lifelong devotion to medicine and science. He was a voracious reader and found joy in photography, tennis, cross-country skiing, and fly fishing.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret; his son, Jon; his daughter, Amy; his sisters, Mary Mattison and Barbara Marks; his brother, Richard Mattison (Kathryn); and several nieces and nephews.

In honoring Dr. Mattison's wishes services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders or a charity of your choice.

The family is deeply grateful for the compassionate care provided by caregivers, Vitality Living, Avodah Home Care, and Three Oaks Hospice.