Helen grew up on the Isle of Man where she attended her local state comprehensive school. Incredibly squeamish as a child; her family were shocked when she announced that she planned to study medicine! She studied at Cambridge and Oxford and started hospital work in East Anglia, moving to Belfast in 2008 to complete GP training. Being a GP was everything she ever aspired to within clinical practice – drawn to the variety, challenge, and opportunity to connect with individuals journeying through life. She was appointed to the GP Academic Research Training scheme (GPARTs) in 2009, completing an MPhil by research in eLearning alongside her GP training. She went on to complete a PhD in Medical Education on the topic of assessment.

She practices clinically in Elmwood Medical Practice in Belfast where she says her patients and colleagues do an excellent job of keeping her grounded. Supporting future generations of doctors to provide the highest levels of service to patients and communities drives her both clinically and academically, and her current research spans clinical General Practice (particularly around cancer and mental health) and education

She has led the Year 4 GP Course since 2018 and was the architect of the C25 Year 4 course. She has co-led the overall Year 4 course of the C25 undergraduate medical programme and GP longitudinal placements.