Division of Rheumatology and Immunology
Department of Internal Medicine
LKH Univ. Klinikum Graz / Medical University of Graz
Auenbruggerplatz 15
8036 Graz, Austria

Matteo Villa is an immunologist, and did his PhD training at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research in London – UK, in the team of Gitta Stockinger. He then moved on for his postdoctoral work to the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg – Germany, in the team of Erika Pearce. Since 2023, he is Assistant Professor of Experimental Rheumatology and Translational Immunology at the Medical University of Graz. In 2026, Matteo joined the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Arthritis and Rehabilitation to contribute to its mission to improve the health and life of people with arthritis.

Matteo’s team focuses on understanding the mechanisms controlling the function of immune and non-immune cells in peripheral tissues such as the arthritic inflamed joint. The team focuses on clinically-relevant questions with a strong translational perspective. Its work intersects with the one of biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and the ultimate goal is to move the research findings to the clinic, through innovative drugs