Valentina graduated from Pontificia Universidad Catolica of Chile with a B.S. in Biology. In 2018, she earned her doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the same University, studying the effect of up-regulated microRNAs on BRCA1 expression, a breast cancer-related protein. In 2018, she joined the Fejerman Lab, embarking on the quest for understanding the molecular mechanisms that link population-specific genetic variants to breast cancer biology in Latina women. Valentina also contributes to the LUCHA Initiative at UC Davis through her research. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, going to concerts, hiking, and hanging out with friends