Helen Zealley

Helen studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and dedicated much of her medical career combating the public health crisis of HIV/AIDS in Edinburgh.

Helen was born in 1940 to parents who were both newly graduated from Edinburgh Medical School. Following in their footsteps, she joined Edinburgh Medical School herself in 1958, graduating six years later.

Helen’s whole career was spent in Edinburgh. After working in Edinburgh Hospitals as a House Officer, she later moved to the Regional Virus Laboratory at the City Hospital and became a virologist with a particular interest in immunisation and epidemiology. This led to Helen achieving an MD graduation and specialising in Public Health.

In the 1970s, she became involved with the emerging speciality of community medicine and worked within the children’s service of the Edinburgh Public Health Department for ten years. She was appointed chief administrative medical officer of the Lothian Health Board in 1988 and executive director of the Lothian Health Board in 1991. During this time, Helen joined forces with fellow graduate Jacqueline Mok, working on Edinburgh and Scotland’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

In addition to achieving her MD, Helen later became a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and has also been awarded OBE.

Helen is currently writing a book about her medical career. Her son Ian is also an Edinburgh Medical School graduate, continuing a proud family connection.

Read more about Helen's family connections to medicine through others listed in our 300 Faces of Edinburgh Medical School:

Profile of Margaret Brotherston (grandmother) 

Profile of John Brotherston (father)