Deputy Director, Senior Research Fellow

Email: val@sussex.ac.uk
Tel: (UK) 01273 87 3016, (Int.) +44 1273 87 3016
Fax: 01273 87 3022

About Val

Dr. Valerie Jenkins is the Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow in the Cancer Research UK Psychosocial Oncology Group. She originally trained as a nurse in Wales, working in Oncology at Velindre Hospital in Cardiff and then completed her BSc and DPhil in Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex. Her doctorate in neuropsychology was entitled 'Novel Word Association Priming in Amnesic Patients.'

Since joining the Psychosocial Oncology Group in 1996 Dr. Jenkins 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.

Current studies

Development and Evaluation of a Training Intervention for Cancer Teams Talking about Randomised Clinical Trials

Communication and Preferences for Follow-Up in Patients with High-Grade Malignant Glioma

Health Care Professional's (HCP) Communication and Patient Comprehension of Phase 1 Oncology Trials

A pilot study to examine the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of xerostomia (the decrease in or total lack of saliva) in patients with head and neck cancers

Effects of Anastrozole on Cognition in Post-menopausal Women at Risk of Developing Breast Cancer