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Professor Valerie Jenkins

A photo of Val Jenkins wearing a lanyard, sunglasses and a green top in front of a building with glass and trees

Professor Valerie Jenkins (DPhil, BSc)

Deputy Director in Sussex Health Outcomes, Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C)
E: Val@sussex.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1273 873016
Location: Sussex Health Outcomes Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C), Room 2, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RX

DA: Holly Cowlan
E: H.Cowlan@sussex.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1273 873019

Areas of expertise: Psycho-oncology; neuropsychological impairments associated with cancer treatments; patient reported outcomes; production of communication skills training materials; yoga

Research areas: Active collaborations with health care professionals working in oncology locally and across the UK

shore-c.sussex.ac.uk

Biography

Professor Valerie Jenkins is the Deputy Director in Sussex Health Outcomes, Research & Education in Cancer. She originally trained as a nurse in Wales, working in Oncology at Velindre Hospital in Cardiff and then completed her BSc (1986-1989) and DPhil (1993-1996) in Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex. Her doctorate in neuropsychology was entitled 'Novel Word Association Priming in Amnesic Patients.'

She has worked with Professor Dame Lesley Fallowfield’s group for the last 25 years, first at University College London and then when the research unit transferred to the University of Sussex.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Research

Valerie has worked extensively on research projects aimed at improving our understanding about doctor/patient communication, especially that around randomised clinical trials. The training materials she developed with colleagues are now being used throughout the UK trials community and in other parts of the world. She has also been the principle investigator for several studies examining the impact of chemotherapy and aromatase inhibitors on cognition in national and international trials, and also the effectiveness of acupuncture to ameliorate xerostomia in patients treated for head and neck cancer, and yoga for women recovering from breast cancer surgery.

Please visit the relevant sections of the SHORE-C wbsite for more information.

Click here to SHORE-C website >

Selected publications

Jenkins V, Fallowfield L, Langridge C, Barrett J, Ryan A, Jacobs I et al. Psychosocial Factors Associated With Withdrawal From the United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening After 1 Episode of Repeat Screening. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. 2015;25(8):1519-1525.

Harder H, Langridge C, Solis-Trapala I, Zammit C, Grant M, Rees D et al. Post-operative exercises after breast cancer surgery: Results of a RCT evaluating standard care versus standard care plus additional yoga exercise. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2015;7(3):202-210.

Jenkins V, Catt S, Banerjee S, Gourley C, Montes A, Solis-Trapala I et al. Patients’ and oncologists’ views on the treatment and care of advanced ovarian cancer in the UK: results from the ADVOCATE study. Br J Cancer. 2013;108(11):2264-2271.

Fallowfield L, Solis-Trapala I, Jenkins V. Evaluation of an Educational Program to Improve Communication with Patients About Early-Phase Trial Participation. The Oncologist. 2012;17(3):377-383.

Jenkins V, Solis-Trapala I, Langridge C, Catt S, Talbot D, Fallowfield L. What Oncologists Believe They Said and What Patients Believe They Heard: An Analysis of Phase I Trial Discussions. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2010;29(1):61-68.

Jenkins V, Farewell D, Batt L, Maughan T, Branston L, Langridge C et al. The attitudes of 1066 patients with cancer towards participation in randomised clinical trials. Br J Cancer. 2010;103(12):1801-1807.

Jenkins V, Ambroisine L, Atkins L, Cuzick J, Howell A, Fallowfield L. Effects of anastrozole on cognitive performance in postmenopausal women: a randomised, double-blind chemoprevention trial (IBIS II). The Lancet Oncology. 2008;9(10):953-961.

Jenkins V, Shilling V, Deutsch G, Bloomfield D, Morris R, Allan S et al. A 3-year prospective study of the effects of adjuvant treatments on cognition in women with early stage breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 2006;94(6):828-834.

Jenkins V, Fallowfield L, Edginton T, Payne H, Hamilton E. Preferences of hxealthy men for two different endocrine treatment options offered for locally advanced prostate cancer. Current Medical Research and Opinion. 2005;21(9):1329-1335.

Jenkins V. Discussing randomised clinical trials of cancer therapy: evaluation of a Cancer Research UK training programme. BMJ. 2005;330(7488):400-0.

A full list of publications is available on request or can be viewed through the links below.

Click here to SHORE-C publications >

Click here to elements profile >