Iris Gratz

Iris Gratz is an Associate Professor and head of the Gratz Lab at the Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg. Her research focuses on T cell-mediated immunity in the skin, investigating autoimmunity, cancer, and wound healing. She leads a team utilizing organotypic 3D skin cultures and humanized mouse models to explore therapeutic strategies for inflammatory skin diseases and cancer. Gratz collaborates with the EB House Austria (a specialized clinic for Epidermolysis Bullosa) and the Cancer Cluster Salzburg. Her work is funded by the FWF (SFB-F70 program) and integrates with the International PhD Program 'Immunity in Cancer and Allergy'.

Research interests include the role of regulatory T cells, HDAC signaling, and gamma delta T cells in skin immunity. She has mentored numerous students and postdocs, many of whom have pursued academic or industry roles. Gratz's lab emphasizes translational research, bridging preclinical studies with clinical applications via collaborations with medical institutions.