Success Story – Dr. Helen Winter 

9 January 2026

“ACTAsia’s main mission around compassion and education absolutely parallels with what I was doing in my medical career, but it was a different avenue and more far-reaching.”  

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Dr. Helen Winter is a Medical Oncologist and Hon. Associate Professor at the University of Bristol, UK. Helen is a long-time friend of ACTAsia’s founder and CEO, Pei Su and was previously the Chair of ACTAsia’s Board and is an eminent advisor to ACTAsia’s Institute for Change programme.  

Introducing Helen

Helen always knew she wanted to study medicine and practice as a doctor. “It’s very much part of who I am as a person,” she says. “I feel very lucky to have been able to look after so many patients and hopefully make a difference where I can.”

Helen is incredibly passionate about her work. “It is very much the profession where you combine that love of science and curiosity with compassion and kindness,” she explains. Reflecting on her daily work, she adds, “I often find myself saying to patients, I can’t believe I’m paid to look after you because it’s such a wonderful job to do. I’ve never been bored for one day in my working life, and I am always learning.”

That combination of curiosity, commitment and care has shaped every stage of Helen’s impressive and impactful career.

Oncology as relational care

Helen was drawn to oncology because it offered the opportunity to work with people at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives, while also engaging with a rapidly evolving scientific field. Cancer, she notes, affects not only individuals but families and communities. “People do not get cancer in isolation,” she says.

In oncology, Helen found space to build long-term, meaningful relationships with patients and their families. “Compassion and empathy,” she shares, “are absolutely essential in oncology.” When training medical students and healthcare professionals, Helen often asks patients what they believe makes a good doctor. Their answers are strikingly consistent: “Being kind, listening, being compassionate. Obviously being an expert and knowing your stuff, but that’s a given.” For Helen, listening carefully and taking time to understand what matters to patients is central to good care and to building trust.

Helen’s connection to ACTAsia

Helen met Pei many years ago, before ACTAsia was formally established. “We immediately hit it off,” she says, recalling an instant recognition of Pei’s drive and commitment to pushing boundaries. “I really admired that and wanted to be around it. So, when I heard that ACTAsia was forming and learned about its mission and values, I was happy to support it in any way I could.” 

Helen went on to become ACTAsia’s Chair. “It grew very organically, but very purposefully and I learned so much from how that was established,” she says. 

“ACTAsia’s main mission around compassion and education absolutely parallels with what I was doing in my medical career, but it was a different avenue and more far-reaching.” 

Research, learning and Oxford University 

Later in her career, Helen returned to academia, completing a DPhil in oncology at the University of Oxford while already an established consultant. She undertook this research because she strongly believes that improving patient outcomes depends on continually asking new questions and challenging existing practices. The experience she says, was life-changing, opening new doors and reshaping how she thinks about collaboration and impact.

It was also during this time that Helen introduced ACTAsia to long-term supporter Professor Terence Ryan, who is on the ACTAsia Board of Governors and is a valued Trustee. Helen helped to initiate collaborations that later led to events and discussions at Oxford University connecting medicine, ethics and compassion.

Health equity and systemic challenges 

Alongside her clinical and research work, Helen has long been committed to addressing health inequalities. “I’ve always had a strong sense of fairness and equality,” she says, pointing to disparities in access to care, diagnosis and outcomes. Recent reports highlighting poorer cancer outcomes for people living in socially deprived areas have reinforced her belief that innovation must actively work to close, rather than widen, these gaps.

Helen acknowledges that working within healthcare systems where resources are finite can be challenging. Rather than becoming frustrated, she focuses on identifying solutions, pushing boundaries and questioning the status quo. Crucially, this involves patient and family-centered care. “What would we want for our own family?” she asks. This is a question that continually guides her work.

One Health: connecting human and animal wellbeing

Helen is deeply passionate about the concept of One Health. Prior to studying medicine, she worked at Wood Green Animal Shelter, where many of her colleagues were veterinary nurses. It was here that she first noticed parallels between animal and human health, including in rare cancers such as osteosarcoma. Years later, working at the University of Bristol, alongside veterinary researchers, Helen explored these commonalities further.  

“One Health shows us how deeply interconnected human, animal and environmental wellbeing really are,” she says. “There is a huge amount of learning across disciplines, from vets to medics to climate scientists. We saw that during the pandemic and we continue to see it in research and practice.” Helen credits ACTAsia with deepening her understanding of One Health and fostering interdisciplinary connections that have shaped her thinking. It offers a shared language for understanding care as relational, systemic and necessarily collaborative.

Looking ahead

Looking to the future, Helen hopes to see ACTAsia continue to expand its One Health work, deepen its unique education programs and remain ambitious in its goals. She believes strongly in developing the next generation – in healthcare professionals, advocates, leaders or otherwise – and sees education as central to building more compassionate and resilient societies.

As Helen reflects on her own career, she continues to ask herself what impact she can have next. “Have I done my best? Have I had the most impact?” she asks. Though grateful for the work she has been able to do so far, she is clear that she is not finished yet.

Helen’s approach to oncology, education and advocacy reflects a consistent commitment to compassionate, patient-centred care. Her long-standing support of ACTAsia is a natural extension of that commitment.

Get involved 

Thank you Helen, for your incredible support to both Pei and ACTAsia.

Helen’s journey reminds us that meaningful change begins with compassion and connection. 

Join ACTAsia in building a future where care, education, and One Health approaches shape healthier societies for all. Please consider donating today.