Valerie Beral facts for kids

Dame Valerie Beral (born July 28, 1946 – died August 26, 2022) was a famous scientist. She was an epidemiologist, which means she studied how diseases spread. Valerie Beral was especially known for her work on breast cancer. She was a professor at the University of Oxford and led the Cancer Epidemiology Unit there.

Early Life and Education

Valerie Beral was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1946. She went to the University of Sydney. In 1969, she earned her medical degree with top honors.

After finishing university, she traveled for six months. She visited many places in Asia. This trip made her realize how much she wanted to work. She then moved to England.

Valerie Beral's Career in Science

Valerie Beral started working at Hammersmith Hospital in England. A doctor there, Charles Fletcher, saw her talent. He suggested she study epidemiology. This field looked at health patterns in large groups of people.

She then joined the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. There, she studied epidemiology and statistics. Valerie Beral found this work much more interesting than being a regular doctor. She liked that epidemiology helped her understand health problems.

Her research covered many important topics. She studied how radiation affects health. She also looked at breast cancer and AIDS. Her work was very important for public health.

In 1989, she became the head of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit. This unit is part of the University of Oxford. She was a bit shy about being in the public eye. But she took on this big role.

Valerie Beral also worked with global health groups. These included the World Health Organization. She helped guide decisions about breast cancer screening.

The Million Women Study

One of Valerie Beral's biggest projects was the Million Women Study. This study started in 1997. It involved over 1.3 million women in the UK. All the women were over 50 years old.

The study looked at how a woman's life history affects her health. A main focus was on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is a treatment some women use during menopause.

In 2003, her team shared important findings. They showed that taking HRT could increase the risk of breast cancer. The longer a woman used HRT, the higher the risk. However, the risk went back to normal after stopping HRT for five years. This study was very important for women's health worldwide.

Awards and Honors

Valerie Beral received many awards for her important work.

• In 2000, she became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
• She received an honorary Doctor of Medicine degree in 2005.
• In 2006, she was given the Donald Reid Medal. This was for her amazing work in cancer research.
• She became a Fellow of the Royal Society for her scientific contributions.
• In 2010, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This is a very high honor in the UK.
• Also in 2010, she received the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). This is a top honor in Australia. It recognized her service to medicine and women's health.

Personal Life

Valerie Beral lived in Oxford, England. Her husband, Paul Fine, was also a professor. He worked at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

She kept in touch with Australia, her home country. But she preferred living in England. She joked that Australia's population was "too small" for an epidemiologist like her. She needed lots of people to study!

Valerie Beral passed away on August 26, 2022, at age 76. Her work greatly improved our understanding of health and disease.