With a background in immunology and microbiology, Matthias’ research focuses on host-microbiota-pathogen interactions within the respiratory tract.

He attained his doctorate studying the immune responses to intracellular bacteria of the Rickettsiaceae family at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, where he stayed for a first postdoc, entering the field of genetic engineering of Rickettsiaceae. In 2015, he joined the group of Prof. Dr. Schaible at the Research Center Borstel. Here, Matthias became fascinated by the microbiota and the gut-lung axis, which he investigated first in mouse models, then within human cohorts.

Matthias joined the Barber Lab in 2026 as a senior scientist and laboratory manager, where he extends his research to the role of fungi in host-microbiota interactions.