{"id":2836,"date":"2026-03-10T15:19:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/?p=2836"},"modified":"2026-03-11T10:10:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T10:10:23","slug":"from-pea-moth-to-policy-a-womans-journey-in-safety-sustainability-and-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/03\/10\/from-pea-moth-to-policy-a-womans-journey-in-safety-sustainability-and-science\/","title":{"rendered":"From Pea moth to policy: a woman\u2019s journey in Safety, Sustainability and Science"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sally<\/h3>\n

\u201cI want to enable people to get their work done confidently and safely, rather than putting up barriers.\u201d<\/h3>\n

Profile written by Anna Napolitano<\/em><\/p>\n

Sally Campbell, Safety and Compliance Manager in Central Biomedical Services (CBS), has built a career defined by curiosity, creativity and genuine care for people. Today she plays a key role in ensuring Imperial\u2019s animal research is carried out safely and responsibly, but her journey began in a very different place.<\/p>\n

An unexpected call<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sally began her career in 1973 as a research assistant at what is now Rothamsted Research, focusing on pea moths. Just a year later, the UK\u2019s Health & Safety at Work Act reshaped how research laboratories operated \u2014 and subtly redirected Sally\u2019s own career.<\/p>\n

She went on to broaden her hands\u2011on experience, taking up a role as a quality control technician at Whitbread Brewery (yes, beer tasting was genuinely part of the job!) before becoming a laboratory manager with the Medical Research Council, where health and safety became central to her work.<\/p>\n

As her interest in health and safety deepened, her professional journey developed. Sally moved to the Marie Curie Research Institute and later to Central Saint Martin’s College of Art, taking responsibility for health and safety at both institutions. In 2010 she joined Imperial\u2019s Faculty of Medicine safety team, bringing with her decades of experience and people-focused approach.<\/p>\n

Making safety accessible<\/strong><\/p>\n

After 10 years supporting researchers across the faculty, Sally moved to CBS, where she now supports staff and animal facilities in carrying out their work safely, confidently, and in line with Imperial\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n

Her role provides health and safety-to advice on work in CBS and includes oversight of e-day safety advice, and looking after emergency planning and business continuity, ensuring CBS is prepared for the unexpected. It is, she says \u201ca busy role, never dull, and I\u2019m fortunate to be part of a fantastic team.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sally Health and Safety should never feel intimidating or obstructive. Her aim is to demystify it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking in CBS has given me a better understanding of the extraordinary research that takes place here, and the privilege and responsibility that comes with supporting work involving animals,\u201d she explains. \u201cI want to enable people to get their work done confidently and safely, rather than putting up barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her motto is simple: there is usually a way to do things safely \u2013 it just takes a bit of creativity and a conversation.<\/p>\n

Driving sustainability in animal research<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joining CBS brought new challenges in Sally\u2019s career, including navigating operational and legal frameworks that underpin Imperial\u2019s exceptionally high standards of animal welfare.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing firsthand how animal models contribute to better treatments and outcomes for people living with debilitating health challenges has been inspiring,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Sally has brought another long-standing passion into her work: environmental sustainability. She has led CBS sustainability initiatives and played a key role in Imperial\u2019s animal units achieving LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) Silver and Bronze accreditations.<\/p>\n

Creativity beyond the lab<\/strong><\/p>\n

Creativity is woven through both Sally\u2019s professional and personal life. Over the years she has embraced all sorts of crafts, from dressmaking – including making her own wedding dress from a pattern – to pottery, which she describes as \u201cthe messiest but most fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

When not busy crafting, she often swims. \u201cI love swimming outside in the winter when the pool is lightly steaming and there\u2019s hardly anyone else there, it\u2019s pure joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find out more<\/strong><\/p>\n