Valentina Vozella is a Postdoctoral Associate in Dr. Marisa Roberto’s Lab. She got her master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies and her PharmD in the beautiful Milan, Italy. This sparked a persistent passion for finding treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. Valentina got her PhD in 2018 at the University of Genoa, Italy, which included a one-year visit to the University of California Irvine (UCI) under the mentorship of Professor Daniele Piomelli. She came back to Southern California to continue her work at UCI as a postdoc, and then received a fellowship through the University of Southern California to work at a pharmaceutical company for a year. Now at Scripps Research, Valentina is studying the mechanisms involved in stress & anxiety, with a focus on identifying and validating targets for the treatment of anxiety-related disorders, including Alcohol Use Disorder.

 

A highlight of Valentina’s career was receiving a sweet, heartfelt note from an undergraduate student who had worked with her while at UCI. It was a stressful time because they had to work hard and had a strict deadline. But he appreciated her for challenging him, taking the time to train him, and also being patient and kind throughout. This gave Valentina a taste for the rewarding feeling of being a mentor and she continues to look for opportunities to work with students now through Alcohol Research Center outreach efforts.

 

When Valentina is not in the lab you may find her playing beach volleyball with friends. Her sunny personality, motivation and intelligence make her a joy to work with!