Valerie obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and after postdoctoral training in the USA, she returned to South Africa to establish a laboratory at the University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service. In 2011, she moved to UCT as director of the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, a major postgraduate research enterprise focused on tackling diseases of importance in Africa.

Valerie is internationally recognised for her research on aspects of the physiology and metabolism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis relevant to tuberculosis drug discovery and drug resistance. Her work has led to the identification and validation of new tuberculosis drug targets and has provided key insights into the mechanisms that mycobacteria employ when adapting to conditions of stress.

Valerie is a member of the American Academy of Microbiology, African Academy of Science, Academy of Science of South Africa, and Royal Society of South Africa. Her major awards include the 2000 Unesco-L'Oréal For Women in Science Award (Africa & Middle East) and the 2013 Christophe Mérieux Prize.