Lesley J. Fallowfield

Lesley J. Fallowfield, DPhil, FMedSci, CBE is Professor of Psycho-Oncology at the University of Sussex and Director of SHORE-C (Sussex Health Outcomes Research and Education in Cancer). One of the most eminent figures in psycho-oncology worldwide, she has spent over 40 years investigating the psychological impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment, the management of depression and anxiety in cancer patients, and the quality of oncologist-patient communication. Professor Fallowfield pioneered evidence-based communication skills training for oncologists — her randomized trial published in The Lancet demonstrating that structured training significantly improved oncologists' ability to detect and respond to patient distress has been replicated internationally and is now a standard component of oncology specialty training in the UK. She is a founding editor of the journal Psycho-Oncology and has authored over 450 publications. Her work on quality of life measurement in cancer clinical trials and on patients' psychological responses to cancer therapy has directly influenced regulatory guidance on patient-reported endpoints and informed consent standards.