Costantino Pitzalis

Professor Costantino Pitzalis is the Versus Arthritis Professor of Rheumatology at the William Harvey Research Institute, part of Queen Mary University of London. He serves as Deputy Director of the William Harvey Research Institute and Head of the Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology (EULAR Centre of Excellence in Rheumatology 2023-2028). His research focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying inflammation and autoimmunity in rheumatic diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis (RA). He leads the Musculoskeletal Theme of the NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre (2022-2027), addressing health inequalities and innovative healthcare delivery. Pitzalis has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers and pioneered stratified, biopsy-driven clinical trials (R4RA and STRAP) funded by NIHR and MRC/VA, which assess drug efficacy across RA stages.

His clinical expertise spans immune/inflammatory rheumatic diseases, including psoriatic arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and osteoarthritis. Research themes include synovial tissue pathobiology, biomarker discovery, and translational drug development. Collaborations with industry (e.g., Sanofi, GSK) and academic institutions (e.g., University of Rome, University of Manchester) enhance his work. Pitzalis’ team integrates basic science with clinical trials, aiming to improve patient care through targeted therapies and personalized medicine.

Key achievements include identifying synovial pathotypes predictive of treatment response and developing novel diagnostic tools like BioX-CPath. His work emphasizes multi-omics approaches and spatial biology to dissect disease mechanisms. Awards include leadership of EULAR-accredited research centers and contributions to international initiatives like the IMI 3TR project.