Dr. Valerie Walker is an honorary consultant in chemical pathology at the University Hospital Southampton (UHS). Her qualifications are Biochemistry BSc Hons, MBChB (first class Hons), MD (Doctorate, Liverpool University), FRCPath. Honor: Fellowship of the Association for Laboratory Medicine. Training: undergraduate, Liverpool University; postgraduate: pathology (specialty chemical pathology), Liverpool Royal Infirmary (LRI). Experience: four years as registrar at LRI working on a metabolic unit investigating mainly electrolytes, bone mineralization disorders, and kidney stones. Two years as senior registrar/senior lecturer at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, and the Institute of Child Health, London UK. From 1979 to 2010: senior lecturer/consultant in chemical pathology and human metabolism at the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton (UHS). Special service commitments at UHS were a kidney stone clinic, pediatric biochemistry and heading the trace element laboratory. From 2010 to the present, honorary consultant at UHS. Research in Southampton: eicosanoids in brain hemorrhage, electrolyte disturbances following neurosurgery, neonatal biochemistry, inherited metabolic disorders, acquired and inherited organic acid, amino acid and ammonia disturbances, volatile compounds in biological fluids, and the genetic basis for common kidney stones. 89 peer-reviewed papers; 18 book chapters.