I first met Helen during the Covid-19 pandemic where I was in UKHSA and we spend an intense few weeks trying to understand which animals were suspectible to Covid. Mink were the topic of most of our conversations and Helen taught me everything I ever needed to know about them. It was clear immediately that she was passionate and knowledgeable about animal heatlh and she became a big contributer to our work advising on Covid-19. This relationship continued as I moved to GO-Science and we regulary called upon Helen to provide expert science advice to SAGE-related meetings – no matter what the animal disease Helen was there to advise. The loss of Helen is a huge shock both personally and professionally. She was absolutely lovely and amazing at her job. We will miss her hugely.