Mariele Gatto, MD, PhD, is a Rheumatologist at Padova University Hospital, Italy. She is devoted to her clinical work in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients affected with systemic connective tissue diseases. Dr Gatto’s research activity in SLE, LN and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) focusses on B cells and circulating extracellular vesicles as drivers of novel pathogenic mechanism. Dr Gatto has authored over 100 scientific publications. She has consolidated joint collaborations with both national (Italian belimumab multicentric study group) and international research groups and is also a member of the Italian and Swedish Society of Rheumatology.