Valentina Fossati

Valentina is a Senior Research Investigator at the NYSCF | JAX collaborative, where her research focuses on glia-driven pathogenic mechanisms in PD, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other CNS disorders. She earned her undergraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and a PhD in Stem Cell Biology from the University of Bologna and completed postdoctoral training at Mount Sinai in New York. Valentina pioneered the development of human iPSC-derived glial cell models, establishing protocols for oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, microglia, and 3D organoid systems. She generated the first iPSC lines from individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis, led large-scale studies to uncover inflammatory glial phenotypes in MS and pioneered stem cell studies in Low Earth Orbit.