Professor Velikova,Professor of Psychosocial and Medical oncology, graduated from the Medical Institute, Varna, Bulgaria in 1986. She obtained a degree in Internal Medicine in Bulgaria in 1994. She moved to UK and completed training in Medical Oncology in 2001. She obtained a PhD from the University of Leeds 2001 for a research project "Quality of life measurement in daily oncology practice". Dr Velikova has a Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist Grant (2003-2008) and since 2007 a cancer Research UK programme grant in psycho-social oncology to research implementation of routine measurement of quality of life in oncology practice. She is a Consultant in Medical Oncology and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds. Her clinical work focuses on chemotherapy treatment of patients with breast cancer, palliative chemotherapy and supportive care. The focus of current work is on studying the effects of quality of life information on medical decision-making, the impact on physician-patient interactions and developing training for physicians on using and responding to quality of life measures in patients. She is involved in the quality of life sub-studies of large national trials in breast cancer. Dr Velikova is a member of EORTC Quality of Life Group, member of the Executive Committee since 2000, and is responsible for Module Development. She is a member of UK NCRI Psychosocial Oncology Study Group. Board member of ISOQOL and Chair elect of British Psychosocial Oncology Society.

Professor Michael Sharpe,Professor of Psychological Medicine and Symptoms Research, University of Edinburgh. Michael Sharpe Is a corresponding applicant and first Chairman of the Management Boards of the COMPASS collaborative He holds a Personal Research Chair in Psychological Medicine and Symptoms Research in the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He has a degree in experimental psychology from Oxford University and a graduate and research degrees in medicine from Cambridge University.

He is Director of the Psychological Medicine Research Group in the University of Edinburgh and his main interests are in the management of physical symptoms. His work in oncology is funded by a programme grant from Cancer Research UK programme grant and mainly concerns the treatment of depression in cancer patients.

Professor Sharpe also directs the Scottish Mental Health Research Network.

Professor Velikova,Professor of Psychosocial and Medical Oncology, graduated from the Medical Institute, Varna, Bulgaria in 1986. She obtained a degree in Internal Medicine in Bulgaria in 1994. She moved to UK and completed training in Medical Oncology in 2001. She obtained a PhD from the University of Leeds 2001 for a research project "Quality of life measurement in daily oncology practice". Dr Velikova has a Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist Grant (2003-2008) and since 2007 a cancer Research UK programme grant in psycho-social oncology to research implementation of routine measurement of quality of life in oncology practice. She is a Consultant in Medical Oncology and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds. Her clinical work focuses on chemotherapy treatment of patients with breast cancer, palliative chemotherapy and supportive care. The focus of current work is on studying the effects of quality of life information on medical decision-making, the impact on physician-patient interactions and developing training for physicians on using and responding to quality of life measures in patients. She is involved in the quality of life sub-studies of large national trials in breast cancer. Dr Velikova is a member of EORTC Quality of Life Group, member of the Executive Committee since 2000, and is responsible for Module Development. She is a member of UK NCRI Psychosocial Oncology Study Group. Board member of ISOQOL and Chair elect of British Psychosocial Oncology Society .

Professor Julia Brown has directed the Clinical Trials Research Unit (CTRU) at the University of Leeds for the last 17 years. She is a statistician with specialist interest in 'Psychosocial Research' and 'Cancer Clinical Trials Conduct'.

Dr Kate Absolom joined the Psychosocial Oncology and Clinical Practice Research Group in 2008 and previously worked with the Late Effects Group, Sheffield (LEGS) on a programme of research assessing health and quality of life issues in young adult cancer survivors. Kate studied psychology at Lancaster University and completed a Cancer Research UK funded PhD at the University of Sheffield in 2006. This research explored patients' views of follow-up care following treatment for childhood cancer. Kate will be working as part of the COMPASS collaborative on a Strand 2 project assessing how health care professionals detect and manage emotional distress in cancer patients..