Health Services and Primary Care

• MSc in Clinical Primary and Community Care (distinction), University of Birmingham, 2015
• Member Royal College of General Practitioners, 2015
• World Obesity Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education (SCOPE) certified 2015
• MBBS, St George’s, University of London, 2006
• PhD in solid state chemistry, University of Birmingham, 1998
• Member of Royal Society of Chemistry and Chartered Chemist 1997
• MA (Oxon) in chemistry, University of Oxford, 1995

• Distinction in MSc (Clinical Primary and Community Care) 2015
• AiT Excellence Award (RCGP Midland Faculty) 2014
• Distinction in Medical Sciences (MBBS) 2004    
• Merit in Clinical Sciences (MBBS)  2005
• Exhibition prize (University College, Oxford) 1993 - 1995

Helen started at the University of Oxford studying chemistry, gaining a 2:1 in 1995. She continued working in chemistry, completing a PhD in solid state chemistry in 1998 at the University of Birmingham and then going to become a postdoctoral research fellow (University of Birmingham and then Imperial College, London). During this time she published 15 papers (5 first author).

In 2002 she decided to change careers and retrain as a doctor and completed a graduate entry medical degree at St George’s, University of London in 2006.  After foundation training she chose to train as a GP and returned to research when she completed her GP training in Birmingham as an Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) in 2013. During her ACF she was awarded a RCGP Midlands Faculty AiT excellence award and completed a MSc in Clinical and Primary Community Care with distinction.

She was appointed as an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in primary care at the University of Birmingham on completing her GP training in 2015. While in Birmingham Helen was a postgraduate research lead for her institution and module lead for the dissertation module for the MSc in Clinical Primary and Community Care.

She moved to UEA in 2019 as a clinical senior lecturer in primary care. She works one day a week as a salaried GP and spends the rest of the week conducting research into obesity in Norwich Medical School. She teaches medical students and GPs in training, and supervises postgraduate students.

Helen has research interests in obesity and primary care. Her research is focussed on improving the care of people living with obesity, in particular within primary care settings, with particular expertise in the long term care of patients who have had bariatric surgery. In addition to conducting clinical trials, Helen has completed several qualiatative studies, systematic reviews and studies using routine GP data. She is currently a co-investigator on five NIHR funded studies. 

She has extensive experience of developing clinical guidance including NICE committee membership and acting as a RCGP representative to working groups related to obesity.

She has experience of postgraduate supervision at Masters and PhD level as well as MBBS teaching and personal tutor roles. She is a co-supervisor to NIHR in-practice fellow, and leads the primary care clinical academic trainees at UEA (currently 5 GP ACFs, 2 NIHR CLs and NIHR IPF). In 2024 she was appointed as Director of Citizens Academy, PPIE hub for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at UEA.

• Director Citizens Academy, University of East Anglia 2024 - present.
• Consultant clinical associate professor, University of East Anglia 2020 - present.
• Consultant clinical senior lecturer, University of East Anglia 2019- 2020 (former title).
• Salaried GP, Beccles Medical Centre 2020 - present.
• Obesity physician, Fakenham Weight Management Services 2021 - present.
• NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham and GP 2012-2019
• Locum Consultant in Tier 3 Weight Management Service, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust 2019-2020
• Academic Clinical Fellow, Institute of Applied Health, University of Birmingham and GP trainee 2012-2015
• GP trainee, Dudley VTS 2008-2012
• Foundation Years Doctor, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Good Hope Hospital, Birmingham 2006-2008
• Post Doctoral Research Fellow (Solid Oxide Fuel Cells), Department of Materials, Imperial College 2001 - 2002
• Post Doctoral Research Fellow (Solid State Chemistry), School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham 1998 - 2001