Paola Valentini

I have a multidisciplinary educational background and research experience, ranging from medicinal chemistry and biochemistry (M.Sc.) to molecular biology (PhD), nanobiotechnology (post-doc), RNA therapeutics (researcher) and microbiology (current).
During my M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry (University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy),I spent two years abroad in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry of Utrecht University (The Netherlands), studying the interactions between multivalent molecules. I then moved to Scuola Normale Superiore in Pise, Italy, where I obtained my PhD in Molecular Biology and subsequently worked as a research associate until 2010, investigating the interaction between HIV-1 integrase and cellular acetyl-transferases. In 2012, I moved to Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT). In IIT, I have been working for five years on the development of diagnostic tests for point-of-care applications and on-field testing. I have a strong interest in translational research: after a Master's in International Business, I co-founded the spin-off project Nanochrome, in the field of molecular diagnostics, based on 6 granted patents, who has won the first prize in a prestigious Italian business plan competition (SmartCup Liguria, 2016). Since 2018, I switched to the field of RNA therapeutics. In 2020, I obtained my first independent position after passing the Scientific Evaluation of IIT as an Independent Researcher. Since October 2022 I am an Assistant Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at UCD.