Enza Maria Valente, MD, PhD

Enza Maria received her MD and residency in neurology from the Catholic University in Rome, Italy and her PhD from the University College of London, UK. Her initial research focused on the genetic basis of dystonia and other movement disorders. She established her first research group at the Mendel Institute in Rome, Italy, and became associate professor of medical genetics at the Universities of Messina and then Salerno. In 2017, she became full professor of medical genetics at the University of Pavia and head of the Neurogenetics Rsearch Center and Genetic Diagnostic Lab at the IRCCS Mondino Foundation. Since January 2024, she coordinates the National Virtual Institute for Parkinson Disease, a network gathering 16 Italian research centers pursuing excellence reesarch in Parkinson Disease. Enza Maria serves on several editorial boards of genetic and neurology journals and has published over 300 articles. She leads research on the genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease, with a focus on the PINK1 and GBA genes. She is also researching the genetic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders and congenital brain defects to better understand genotype-phenotype correlates and improve counselling, management, and treatment of patients. Her research has been funded nationally and internationally, including an ERC Starting Grant.