Mateo studied Chemistry at the University of Split, Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, obtaining his bachelor's degree in the field of Physical Chemistry and his master's degree in the fields of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. Throughout his academic journey, Mateo actively participated in various research projects related to plant physiology, volatile compound analysis, environmental science, and biochemistry.

He obtained his PhD at the University of Split, School of Medicine, in the field of Biomedicine and Health under the guidance of Professor Ivana Marinović-Terzić, PhD, MD. His doctoral research concentrated on the mechanisms involved in repairing DNA-protein crosslinks. In recognition of his contributions to the field, Mateo was honoured with the Young Scientist of the Year award for 2023 by the Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

In 2023, Mateo joined the Đikić lab as part of the ERESMUS+ scholarship programme where he continues to advance his research of biochemical processes involved in DNA-protein crosslink repair and the connection to cellular proteostasis.