Valentina Greco, PhD

Valentina Greco was born in Palermo, Italy and earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology at the University of Palermo, Italy (1996). She earned her PhD at the EMBL/MPI-CBG, Germany (1998-2002), her post-doc at the Rockefeller University (2003-2009) and is currently a Professor in the Genetics, Cell Biology and Dermatology Departments, and a member of the Yale Stem Cell Center and Yale Cancer Center at Yale University (2009-present).

The Greco lab aims to define how tissues maintain themselves throughout the course of our lives in the face of continuous cellular turnover, frequent injuries, and spontaneous mutations. To do so, the Greco lab developed novel tools that integrate imaging of stem cells in their niche in live mice with both genetic and cell biological approaches that empower a better understanding of the complex orchestration of tissue regeneration using the skin as a model system. This has led to a number of discoveries, including but not limited to 1) stem cell position dictates their fate in the hair follicle, 2) a stem cell-mediated phagocytic clearance mechanism regulates the size of the hair follicle stem cell pool and 3) tissue correction preserves skin epithelial homeostasis. These scientific discoveries are driven by the lab's desire to create a stimulating academic environment where the focus is on doing good, collaborative science while promoting inclusivity within the scientific community, prioritizing mentoring of the lab's trainees’ scientific growth, and striving to make science accessible to everyone.

Dr. Greco has been the recipient of many awards over her career, most recently the 2021 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Momentum Award, the 2019 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, the 2019 Yale Postdoctoral Mentoring Award, the 2018 Yale Graduate Mentor Award in the Natural Sciences, and in 2018 was named the Inaugural Holder of the Carolyn Slayman Endowed Professorship.