Valentina Parma, Ph.D.

Valentina is an accomplished researcher and Assistant Member at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. She specializes in understanding the neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying taste, smell, and chemesthesis, particularly in the context of food preferences and consumption. Her research is guided by a multidisciplinary approach, which integrates psychophysics, neuroimaging, genetics, and cognitive psychology.

Dr. Parma earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Padova, Italy, and has since held positions at the University of Pennsylvania and the Italian Institute of Technology. She has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the Ajinomoto Young Investigator Award in Gustation and the Emanuela E. Rovati Award for Psychophysiological Research. Through her research and collaboration with various international consortia, Dr. Parma aims to shed light on the complex interplay between genetics, chemosensory perception, and individual food choices.