Deputy Director
Email: val@sussex.ac.uk
Tel (UK): 01273 873016
Tel (International) +44 1273 873016
Prof Val Jenkins
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 29years, first at University College London and then when it transferred to the University of Sussex. Professor 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 was the chief investigator for several studies examining the impact of chemotherapy and aromatase inhibitors on cognition in national and international trials. Her other research interests include producing user-friendly patient information films and designing and evaluating ameliorative interventions to help with side effects from cancer treatments eg. and acupuncture to reduce xerostomia in head and neck cancer, and yoga for women recovering from breast cancer surgery.
- BRCA Direct 2
Following on from the successful BRCA DIRECT trial, NHS England has provided funding to implement the BRCA DIRECT digital pathway in 10-20 centres in England over an 18 month period.
- IMPARTER 4
Examines whether a short (8 min) film about Gene Expression Profiling (GEP) tests used in breast cancer (Oncotype DX® or Prosigna) helps improve patients‘ knowledge.
- LORIS
A phase III trial of surgery versus active monitoring for Low Risk DCIS (LORIS), incorporating a two year feasibility study. The aim of the main trial is to determine whether women with newly diagnosed low risk DCIS can safely avoid surgery, without detriment to their psychological well-being and can those patients who do require surgery be identified by pathological and radiological criteria.
- Jenkins V, Starkings R, Teoh M, May S, Bloomfield D, Zammit C, ... & Matthews L. (2023). Patients' views and experiences on the supported self-management/patient-initiated follow up pathway for breast cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer; 31(12): 658. Find it online here 27/10/2023
- Wheelwright S, Matthews L, Jenkins V, May S, Rea D, Fairbrother P, Gaunt C, Young J, Pirrie S, Wallis M G, Fallowfield L, on behalf of the LORIS Trial Management Group (2023). Recruiting women with ductal carcinoma in situ to a randomised controlled trial: lessons from the LORIS study. Trials; 24(1): 670. Find it online here 14/10/2023
- Jenkins V, Matthews L, Solis-Trapala I, Gage H, May S, Williams P, ... & Teoh M. (2023). Patients' experiences of a suppoRted self-manAGeMent pAThway In breast Cancer (PRAGMATIC): quality of life and service use results. Supportive Care in Cancer; 31: 570 Find it online here 12/09/2023
- Fallowfield L, Starkings R, Palmieri C, Tait, A, Stephen L, May S, ... & Jenkins V. (2023). Living with metastatic breast cancer (LIMBER): experiences, quality of life, gaps in information, care and support of patients in the UK. Supportive Care in Cancer; 31(8): 459. Find it online here 11/07/2023
- Torr B, Jones C, Choi S, Allen S, Kavanaugh G, Hamill M, ... & Turnbull C. (2022). A digital pathway for genetic testing in UK NHS patients with cancer: BRCA-DIRECT randomised study internal pilot. Journal of Medical Genetics; 59(12): 1179-1188. Find it online here 22/07/2022
- Fallowfield L, Solis-Trapala I, Starkings R, May S, Matthews L, Eccles D, ... & Jenkins V. (2022). Talking about Risk, UncertaintieS of Testing IN Genetics (TRUSTING): development and evaluation of an educational programme for healthcare professionals about BRCA1 & BRCA2 testing. British Journal of Cancer; 127(6): 1116-1122. Find it online here 17/06/2022
- Fallowfield L J, Farewell D, Jones H, May S, Catt S, Starkings R, & Jenkins V. (2022). IMPARTER, Phase 1 of an intervention to improve patients' understanding of gene expression profiling tests in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment; 192: 265-271. Find it online here 04/01/2022
- Goyal A, Mann G B, Fallowfield L, Duley L, Reed M, Dodwell D, ... & Miles E. (2021). POSNOC - POsitive Sentinel NOde: adjuvant therapy alone versus adjuvant therapy plus Clearance or axillary radiotherapy: a randomised controlled trial of axillary treatment in women with early-stage breast cancer who have metastases in one or two sentinel nodes. BMJ Open; 11(12): e054365. Find it online here 02/12/2021
- Thurtle D, Jenkins V, Freeman A, Pearson M, Recchia G, Tamer P, ... & Gnanapragasam V. (2021). Clinical impact of the predict prostate risk communication tool in men newly diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer: A multicentre randomised controlled trial. European Urology; 80(5): 661-669. Find it online here 04/09/2021
- Starkings R, Shilling V, Jenkins V, & Fallowfield L. (2021). A structured review of quality of life in advanced and high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma shows the need for more studies and better measures. Skin Health and Disease; 1(3): e39. Find it online here 07/05/2021
