Professor Dame Jessica Corner (Nursing Studies, 1983; PhD Nursing Studies, 1990) is a pioneering nurse, internationally recognised cancer researcher and senior leader in UK research and higher education policy. Her work has transformed the role of nursing in cancer care and influenced national and global approaches to patient support, clinical research and healthcare delivery.

The first in her family to attend university, Jessica studied Nursing Studies at Chelsea College, graduating in 1983, just before the College merged with King’s College London in 1985. After working as a nurse, she returned to King’s for a PhD in Nursing Studies, finishing in 1990.

Jessica’s academic career has spanned leading institutions in health science and cancer research. She held senior roles at the Institute of Cancer Research, where she became the first nurse to be appointed to a professorial chair position. She later served as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southampton before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Nottingham, where she led major interdisciplinary research initiatives and strengthened collaboration between universities, healthcare systems and industry.

In 2022, Jessica was appointed Executive Chair of Research England, one of the UK’s most influential research funding bodies, responsible for distributing billions of pounds in funding and overseeing the Research Excellence Framework. In this role, she has played a central part in shaping the UK’s research landscape – supporting institutional resilience, championing inclusive research culture and helping universities translate discovery into real-world impact.

Jessica’s work has had a profound impact on cancer research and palliative care and has had direct clinical impact. Widely regarded as a world-leading expert in supportive cancer care, she has led studies that reshaped how patients are treated and supported through illness. Her pioneering work includes the first randomised trials of nurse-led cancer care, and she led innovative trials into non-pharmacological treatments for cancer symptoms such as breathlessness, which have now been incorporated into national and international clinical guidelines.

Jessica has also played a significant role in national healthcare policy and service improvement. Through leadership roles, including Executive Director of Improving Cancer Services, at organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, and advisory roles within the NHS, she has contributed to major initiatives aimed at improving cancer services and patient experience.

Her achievements have been widely recognised. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2014 for services to healthcare research and education. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, where her research was cited as being pioneering and internationally influential, and, in 2018, she was named among the 70 most influential nurses in the 70-year history of the NHS.

Jessica’s career exemplifies the power of research to drive real-world change. Her work has helped shift the culture of cancer research to place patient experience, quality of life and supportive care at the centre, ensuring it delivers meaningful benefits for patients, practitioners and society.