Helen Laura Whitwell (1 January 1955 – 24 July 2024) was a British

neuropathologist Neuropathology is the study of disease of nervous system tissue, usually in the form of either small surgical biopsies or whole-body autopsies. Neuropathologists usually work in a department of anatomic pathology, but work closely with the cli ...

and

forensic pathologist Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases an ...

. She is notable for being the UK's first female professor of forensic pathology.

Life and career

Whitwell was born on New Year’s Day 1955 in

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

, England, to Edward, an accountant, and Beryl, a maths teacher. She was educated at Kendal High School, a state school and then read medicine at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

. Whitwell was a lecturer in neuropathology at the

from 1979 to 1986, before becoming a

consultant A consultant (from "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice or services in an area of specialization (generally to medium or large-size corporations). Cons ...

neuropathologist at the

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is a major, 1,215 bed, tertiary National Health Service (England), NHS and military hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, situated very close to the University of Birmingham. The hospital, which ...

. She joined the

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

as a forensic pathologist in 1988 and was based in the West Midlands where she undertook up to 60

post-mortem An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death ...

s a year. She also acted as an

expert witness An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...

, including helping to overturn of the conviction of

Sally Clark Sally Clark (née Lockyer, 15 August 1964 – 15 March 2007) was an English solicitor who, in November 1999, became the victim of a miscarriage of justice when she was found guilty of the murder of her two infant sons. Clark's first son died in ...

and other cases of

sudden infant death syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sometimes known as cot death or crib death, is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and ...

shaken baby syndrome Shaken baby syndrome (SBS), also known as abusive head trauma (AHT), is a controversial and scientifically disputed medical condition in children younger than five years old, hypothesized to be caused by blunt trauma, vigorous shaking, or a co ...

. After briefly lecturing at the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

in New Zealand, she returned to the United Kingdom to become Professor of Forensic Pathology at the

University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield (informally Sheffield University or TUOS) is a public university, public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Fir ...

in 2000; the first woman to hold such a chair. She stepped down in 2004 when the university closed her department and returned to practising forensic pathology. She developed arthritis in her hands in her 50s which meant she had to stop undertaking post-mortems and instead focused on her academic work. Whiwell was the inspiration for Sam Ryan, the original lead character in the BBC's long-running television series ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC that focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. The series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squa ...

''. She also acted as an advisor to the programme. Whitwell died from cancer, on 24 July 2024, aged 69.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/08/05/helen-whitwell-pathologist-inspired-silent-witness-obituary/

Selected works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitwell, Helen 1955 births 2024 deaths Neuropathologists British forensic pathologists Academics of the University of Manchester Academic staff of the University of Auckland Academics of the University of Sheffield People from Kendal