Valentina Massa has focused her scientific research on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying malformations of the central nervous system. She has been studying Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) and other chromatinopathies since 2012 using different and complementary modeling systems. Dr. Massa has identified the canonical WNT pathway as a master regulator of the neurodevelopmental alterations for CdLS. She tested in vitro and in vivo lithium for defect rescuing. Through solid collaboration with the patient’s association and involved physicians, she established a connection among developmental abnormalities and cognitive impairment paving the way for a clinical trial, demonstrating the feasibility of bench-to-bedside approach, even in the most challenging setting of rare disease studies. She designed and conducted several public engagement activities over the past 10 years dedicated to the importance of science and the fundamental bidirectional communication with the general public (pupils, teachers, family association etc.), with special attention to girls and women in STEM. Such activities have been recognized with prizes, including the prestigious “Medaglia d’oro di Benemerenza civica della città di Milano” in December 2021. Dr. Massa is a member of the scientific and medical advisory board of Fondazione CHOPS.