Valerie Beral was an epidemiologist who studied the role of hormonal, reproductive and infectious agents in cancer. Her work helped to identify a number of causes of cancer, along with indicating the existence of the viral causes behind cervical cancer and Kaposi's sarcoma.

Valerie was the principal investigator behind the Million Women Study, which examined how various lifestyle and reproductive factors affect women's health, with a particular focus on the impact of hormone replacement therapy on the risk of developing breast cancer.

Over her lifetime, Valerie received many accolades in recognition of her work, including the Donald Reid Medal of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2006, and the Rosalind E. Franklin Award of the US National Cancer Institute in 2014. In 2010, she was named both a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, as well as a Companion of the Order of Australia.

Dame Valerie Beral DBE AC FMedSci FRS died on 26 August 2022.