Originally from Gloucestershire, Valerie spent four years at Cardiff University and graduated with a MChem in 2008, before moving to St Andrews to study for a PhD. Cycling, walking, photography and Guiding feature among her main hobbies.

Valerie is working on the multinuclear NMR study of microporous materials, including AlPOs and SAPOs.

Valerie completed with her PhD in 2012, and is subsequently working with the Ashbrook group and the Morris group doing postdoctoral research.