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In Memory of

Helen Roberts

In memory of our friend and colleague Helen Roberts.

Helen’s career reflected a lifelong dedication to science and public good.  She held a BSc in Zoology and a PhD in Parasitology from Imperial College, London.

Prior to joining the Civil Service, Helen spent a decade in academia in the UK, including extensive fieldwork in Colombia and a secondment in Australia, researching neglected tropical diseases.  She later worked with international health NGOs on human health issues such as malaria and schoolchildren’s health, bringing a global and compassionate perspective to her work.

Helen joined the Civil Service in 2007 as part of the National Epidemiological Expert Group during diseae oubreaks in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, now the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).  In 2008 she moved to the Global Animal Health Team and became the Head of International Disease Monitoring and Risk in 2008.  More recently she has been Defra’s Senior Policy Adviser for non-livestock diseases, including wildlife, new and emerging diseases, and as science and risk adviser on exotic animal diseases and exotic zoonoses.

She led major research programmes, contributed to cross-government horizon scanning and biosecurity work, and played a key role in international and One Health fora, including chairing the UK Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group, served on the EFSA Animal Health and Welfare Panel working closely with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Collaborating Centre on Risk Assessment and Modelling.  Her expertise was respected and valued not only across Defra and APHA but also by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), the Pirbright Institute, the Government Office for Science, UK academic institutions and Internationally.

Above all, Helen will be remembered for her generosity with her time, her incredible knowledge, and her support for others.  She willingly shared her expertise when asked, mentored colleagues, and helped teams make sense of complex risks so they could make informed decisions quickly and with confidence.  Her work influenced policy, preparednes, and disease response in the UK and globally, and touched the lives and careers of many people.

Helen will be missed deeply by colleagues in Defra and all those who worked with her in government, academia, and the many people around the world, whose work, careers and lives were shaped by insight and kindness.  While her loss is immeasurable, her legacy will live on through the policies she influenced, the science she championed, and the people she taught, mentored, supported and inspired.

Book Owner: Gordon Hickman

Book Size:  1000 Messages

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Logan Flockhart

So incredibly sorry to hear of Helen’s sudden passing. I greatly valued her work on HAIRS risk assessments, especially on SARS-CoV-2 and animals, and had heard her name many times before I finally had the chance to meet her.  In my short time working with her, I was very impressed with what a wealth of knowledge she was and also how she was such an open and kind person.  I was very much looking forward to continuing to learn from her.  My sincere condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.   …
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Katharina Stärk

With great pride I remember the teaching activities, policy collaborations and innovative training courses Helen helped develop and deliver. She never hesitated to commit to something new or something risky and untested in education. I will remember her energy, professional courage and willingness to share her knowledge. My deepest condolences to her family, friends and colleagues….
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Jon Hulland

Another Defra “colleague” whos career you touched. Thank you, even if it was for such a short time. Jon…
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Melissa McLaws

Such sad news. I met Helen several times in different roles over the years, and she was consistently impressive in terms of her clarity of thought and knowledge. But what really made her stand out to me were her kindness and generosity – with her time, her insights, her consideration. She will be greatly missed. Sincere condolences to her family and friends….
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Andrea Osborn

I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Helen over the last 3 years. She was one of the most authentic people I have ever met, no pretense, just purely herself all the time; brilliant, witty, funny and with such amazing insights. She was always willing to share what she knew, and didn’t shy away from difficult conversations, which helped us all make better decisions. Helen is in my minds eye continually now, when I’m chasing down a signal of change or looking for answers to complex questions, I wonder what her insights would be. It is shocking to lose her so young, she made incredible contributions to animal health and will be missed all over the world….
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Sophie Templer

I feel so grateful to have had the chance to work with Helen, both to get an insight into some of the incredible work she has led across so many different areas, and also to see the passion and humanity she brought to it all. I’ve been in awe of Helen since I started working with her – she set an example for us all in how she approached issues head on, never taking any nonsense but at the same time bringing such wit and kindness to any situation. Her depth and breadth of knowledge was astounding, and she was so generous with it and always had time for people who wanted to learn. I always looked forward to meetings with her – I would always learn something new, probably have a laugh too, and always left feeling a little brighter and more motivated. Helen’s death is such devastating news and she will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with all her friends and family. …
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Casey Barton Behravesh

I’ll always remember Helen’s generosity—with her time, her knowledge, and her unwavering support for others. Helen was a lovely human being and colleague. I’m especially grateful for the way she encouraged others and collaborated on complex One Health issues. I was lucky to get to work with her over the last few years. And I’ll never forget the moment she gave me an emergency crash course on how to pop a champagne cork at the end of a meeting while working together in France-such a small, joyful lesson that captured her spirit of kindness and looking out for others. Helen’s impact lives on in the work we all do and in the many people she lifted up during her life. She will be deeply missed and never forgotten.  …
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Martin Nayembil

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Helen Roberts. Helen was the epitome of calmness, professionalism, and a sense of purpose. It was pleasure working with Helen on the INHFL platform and she will be sorely missed. My thoughts are with Helen’s family and friends….
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Matt C

I was shocked to hear about Helen’s passing. We’ve lost one of government’s most important minds on animal health and zoonotic disease. I’ll especially miss her sense of humour at the various BSS-related forums that we worked together on. My thoughts are with her friends and family at this difficult time – and also on the lasting and extraordinary contribution she made to the field of biosecurity. Thank you, Helen….
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Miguel A. Miranda

It is been a very sad moment when we knew about Helen passing away. I had the luck of sharing with Helen several years of activity at the AHAW Panel in EFSA. She was a clever, keen, sweet person. Three words that describe a nice colleague, a kind and discreet person, always contributing in a nice manner to the discussion and having a vast experience to learn from her. She was also very friendly, having a nice sense of humor and an eternal smile. I still remember funny moments when she was finding the correct English word when the non-native speakers were struggling to make the correct phrase. We will miss her. All the best wherever she is.   …
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Sharon Brookes

It was a pleasure to work with Helen on our veterinary and zoonotic viral diseases programme. Particularly when I was able to engage face-to-face in the office in London, making interactions work better for APHA and Defra. She will be missed on many levels, my thoughts are with close family, friends and colleagues. …
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Dave Lowe

I only knew Helen for a short time, but such a lovely, knowledgable and approachable colleague who will be sorely missed….
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Mike Reynolds

Helen was not just an exceptional colleague but someone who left a genuine and lasting mark on the people around her – a good friend to many. Over the last five years, I was fortunate to work closely with Helen through HAIRS, during which I learnt so much; a remarkable fountain of knowledge who was endlessly generous with her time. Helen also had fantastic wit and was never afraid to speak her truth. Her non-nonsense approach, yet ability to handle the most challenging situations with diplomacy and professionalism was inspiring. She was warm, kind, and insightful, instinctively making others feel welcome and valued while sharing her expertise so freely. Helens passing has left such a void, which is being felt far and wide. What a privilege it has been to have known her, both professionally and personally….
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Martyn Blissitt

I shared a taxi many times with Helen, and once we got going I wanted the journey to go on forever. One of the kindest, cleverest, most interesting and helpful people most of us will ever meet….
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Katherine Bowen (Grace)

Helen was one of the greatest minds in animal health. She could turn up to any meeting and would always be the authority on the subject. She was generous with her knowledge and taught so many of us about risk assessment and disease control. As a result of  her diligence, she has had a profound impact on the health of animals and people on a global scale and that legacy will live on. I am shocked and saddended that she is gone, but am so grateful to have known her and enjoyed a few drinks in Marquis of Granby.  Thank you for all that you did Helen! We will miss you …
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