Eric Matteson, M.D., receives Distinguished Alumni Award
Emeritus professor of medicine
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Rochester, Minnesota
Mayo Clinic in Minnesota: Emeritus professor of medicine, 2018–present; professor of medicine, 2003–2018; joint appointment, Division of Epidemiology, 2010–2018; consultant, Division of Rheumatology, 1993–2018; chair, Division of Rheumatology, 2005–2015; associate professor of medicine, 1997–2003; assistant professor of medicine, 1990–1997; senior associate consultant, Division of Rheumatology, 1990–1993
Fellowships: Rheumatology, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, Rochester, Minnesota
Residency: Internal medicine, Southwestern Michigan Area Health Education Center, Michigan State University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Internship: Internal medicine, Southwestern Michigan Area Health Education Center
Medical school: Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
Postgraduate: M.P.H., epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Practical nursing, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg School of Nursing
Undergraduate: Political science, German, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED RHEUMATOLOGIST
For years, when rheumatology physicians at Mayo Clinic faced a challenging clinical scenario and needed guidance, they knew who to turn to.
A “clinician’s clinician,” Eric Matteson, M.D. (RHEU ’89), was a trusted resource for colleagues at Mayo Clinic and around the world. He was always eager to help, drawing on his clinical and research expertise in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), giant cell arteritis (GCA), vasculitis and many other rheumatic diseases.
Dr. Matteson is an emeritus professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, the emeritus John F. Finn Minnesota Arthritis Foundation Professor and a retired consultant in the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. As an internationally renowned clinician-scientist, Dr. Matteson conducted extensive epidemiological, mechanistic and clinical studies, which significantly advanced the understanding of rheumatic diseases.
Dr. Matteson was a pioneer in the use of biologics for the treatment of rheumatic disease, an advance that improved quality of life for countless patients. Groundbreaking drug trials he pursued include the first use of etanercept for autoimmune ear disease and an unprecedented trial of rituximab for RA lung disease. With colleagues at Mayo Clinic, he initiated a large artificial intelligence program to develop an individualized prediction of response to RA therapies by applying machine learning methods to patients’ clinical and genomic data.
As a past president of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Rheumatology Research Foundation, he played a significant role in establishing the foundation as the second largest funder of arthritis research in the U.S. Other notable leadership positions include his current place as chair of the ACR Global Engagement Committee and his former chairmanship of the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Dr. Matteson has authored or co-authored more than 500 original scientific publications, more than 60 book chapters and eight books. He has written detailed histories of rheumatology at Mayo Clinic and elsewhere, and his investigation into Friedrich Wegener led to a nomenclature revision of Wegener’s granulomatosis.
He was a primary or key co-mentor for more than 100 individuals throughout his career and delivered more than 300 presentations at conferences in the U.S. and abroad. His many awards and honors include a highly esteemed Masters designation and Presidential Gold Medal from the ACR and a Hero Award from the Arthritis Foundation.
The Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1981 by the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees to acknowledge and show appreciation for the exceptional contributions of Mayo alumni to the field of medicine, including medical practice, research, education, and administration. Individuals receiving this award are recognized nationally — and often internationally — in their fields. Read about the other 2025 recipients here.