As a patient, advocate and cancer research consultant Valerie has extensive experience working with researchers, clinicians, cancer centers and organizations in cancer research and clinical trials. She has worked across platforms to bring a patient centric focus to research and support institutional collaboration and partnerships that impact quality of care and outcomes for patients. She serves on clinical trial working groups, scientific review panels, agent selection committees, steering committees and advisory groups. She has also served as peer reviewer for DOD, CBCRP, PCORI, Komen and others. For many years she has held leadership roles in local, national, and international cancer organizations and is the current Officer and Director of Research and Advocacy for the Inflammatory Breast Cancer International Consortium (ibcic.org).

Valerie is a longtime Advocate and Ambassador for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) improving outcomes important to patients, the National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) and their Cancer Policy and Advocacy Team (CPAT), the SWOG Cancer Network and the American Association of Cancer Education (AACE-ICEC), advancing quality care, research, education, and public policy. 

Valerie’s passion to educate has led to her sharing her knowledge as a national and international speaker on topics such as advocacy, patient communication, quality care, the science and practice of hope, survivorship, cancer education and research. She is a survivor of inflammatory breast cancer, patient navigator, educator, and caregiver/advocate for both of her parents who she lost to cancer.