Valeria Santini is Associate Professor of Hematology at the University of Florence, Italy. She runs the MDS Unit- Hematology- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine- AOU Careggi, University of Florence. Her interests are focused on clinical and translational research in MDS and elderly AML. Professor Santini is President of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione Italiana per lo studio delle sindromi mielodisplastiche (FISiM) and Italian Network of MDS Registries. She belongs to ASH, EHA SOHO, AA&MDS International Foundation and MDS Foundation. She is also an author of more than 200 peer-reviewed papers published in international journals, she is member of the Editorial board of Leukemia Journal and has been member of the Editorial board of Blood journal, and documented reviewer for high impact factor scientific journals. She has been an invited speaker at numerous international meetings including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 2007: educational session on MDS), American Society of Hematology (ASH 2012, ASH 2016: educational sessions on MDS, ASH 2023 Educational Spotlights), European Haematology Association (EHA 2016, EHA 2020, EHA 2022: Educational sessions on MDS) and national haematology societies of several countries.