I was deeply saddened and shocked when I learned about the sudden passing of Helen. It’s difficult to imagine that Helen is no longer with us. Our paths first crossed at SVEPM 2014 where Helen gave a workshop on the Infectious Disease Monitoring tool she had developed at Defra. Ever since we have been collaborating on tools and methods to assess and communicate risks of emerging diseases. It’s been a great privilege to work with Helen. She was a passionate and very knowledgeable veterinary risk analyst who was always willing to help and share her view even if her calendar did not allow her to. She will be truly missed, not only at Defra and in the UK, but in many places around the world including Lelystad, the Netherlands. My deepest condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.