Valerie completed nursing school at Algonquin College and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Ottawa. She also holds additional certification in research methodology from the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA). She has been associated with both the Ottawa Hospital Fertility Centre and the Ottawa Fertility Centre for 18 years.

Valerie is currently the research coordinator at the Ottawa Fertility Centre, a position she has held for the past 10 years. She is responsible for the supervision of clinical trials and other research projects. She is a Certified Clinical Research Professional and an active member of SoCRA. She is co-Chair of the Nursing Special Interest Group of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society. Her professional affiliations also include the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. In her role as educator, she is responsible for the orientation and training of new nursing staff at the Ottawa Fertility Centre. She also coordinates and supervises patient education sessions for the in vitro fertilization program. In 2007, she received an award for advanced practice at SMART ART VIII for excellence in patient education. She has been an invited speaker at educational meetings throughout North America and the United Kingdom.