Matteo Iannacone

Matteo Iannacone serves as Professor of Pathology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Director of the Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases at San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan. His academic journey includes an MD from the University of Milan, Internal Medicine certification, and a PhD in Immunology from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, followed by postdoctoral training at Scripps Research Institute and Harvard Medical School.

His research focuses on viral immunology and liver pathogenesis, particularly using advanced intravital imaging to study immune responses to hepatitis B virus. His laboratory pioneered discoveries about CD8+ T cell dynamics in the liver and Kupffer cell functions. His 125+ publications in top journals (Nature, Cell, Science) reveal consistent themes in antiviral immunity, T cell exhaustion in chronic HBV, and innovative therapeutic approaches including RNA interference and immunomodulation.

His scientific contributions are recognized through prestigious awards including multiple ERC grants (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced), EMBO membership, and the Chiara D'Onofrio Award. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Immunology and on editorial boards of Science Immunology and Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Mentoring has been central to his career, with over 30 PhD students and postdocs trained, many now leading independent research groups. His laboratory (Dynamics of Immune Responses) maintains strong industry partnerships with Gilead, BioNTech, and Moderna while driving fundamental discoveries in viral immunology.