Meet the people working tirelessly behind the scenes

George is the Global Head of Public Web Services & Content at HSBC, leading digital marketing activity across 30+ locations. He has extensive experience of strategic development, digital & operational transformation and risk management in financial services and has lived & worked across the UK, Middle East, Asia Pacific and North America.
Outside of work George volunteers as a School Governor and Chair of Finance at a local primary school, a previous non-exec director at a start-up and a mentor to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. George is a rainbow baby with lived experience of being raised with support from the CONI program.

Sally is a specialist in early childhood development, family relationships and mental health. She joined the Board because – as a parent and professional – she saw the need for families to get compassionate, evidence-based sleep advice.

A trustee for three years, she sits on the Scientific Advisory Committee and has also run a half marathon for the charity.

Assistant Director at the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, she’s had a varied career in charities and national and local governments, leading teams to develop and implement interventions for families in the early years, and campaigning successfully to drive policy change.

During a long and successful career as a fundraiser, Alan worked for charities involved in international development, security and race relations, and support for young people with learning difficulties.

He has a law degree from Birmingham University, but chose not to become a lawyer, preferring to help people through his work for charities where he was Director of Fundraising.

Since retirement, Alan has taken on voluntary roles at charities, using his skills to develop their fundraising functions. He has also completed an MA in Political Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London. Alan lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and son.

Amar is a qualified accountant with over a decade of experience in statutory reporting and process improvement. Amar is currently the Head of Financial Reporting for a financial services company.

Prior to joining The Lullaby Trust, Amar was also a trustee of a local secondary school where he sat on the Board and Finance Committee.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and young child and playing sports.

Emily is a Paediatrician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, qualified from Imperial College in 2012. She has worked across hospitals in North-West London during her training. In 2020, she received a Medical Research Council Fellowship and now divides her time between research at Imperial College’s Academic Neonatal Medicine department and clinical work on the neonatal unit at Chelsea. Her research focuses on long-term health outcomes for preterm children. Emily serves on the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health's Engagement Committee and the GOSH parent advisory group. She lives in South-west London with her partner and children.

Dan Devitt is an independent consultant with over 20 years’ experience working on Public Health services for Babies, Children and Young People and Safeguarding. With a speciality in supporting improvement in Child Death Review Systems, he has a passion for working with local health and social care and education partnerships to understand how they can better meet the needs of babies, children, young people, parents, carers and families.

Sally is an NHS Clinical Psychologist who works in secondary care mental health services and works with people who have PTSD, Complex PTSD and Complex Emotional Needs. Sally is trained in therapeutic approaches including CBT and EMDR and has a keen interest in trauma informed practice. Prior to qualifying as a clinician, Sally worked as management consultant and a business process design specialist. She holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, master's degrees in Psychology, and Management of Operations, along with a bachelor's degree in Politics. She also has a diploma in Business Systems Analysis. Sally lives in Sussex.

Tom joined from the Scottish Cot Death Trust as a trustee in June 2026. A midwife since 1999, he is Professional Lead Midwife and Principal Educator within Public Services Delivery Scotland. He is Consultant Editor for the British Journal of Midwifery, has published widely, and contributes to midwifery textbooks. Tom is a Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and holds a Doctorate in Professional Studies. His extensive experience spans clinical practice, education, research and leadership across maternity and neonatal care in the UK.

Anna has worked for 16 years in Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) prevention, starting in New Zealand with a charity promoting safer sleep. She completed a PhD at the University of Bristol in 2016, funded by The Lullaby Trust, on decision-making in families at increased risk of SIDS. Her research has informed risk reduction campaigns. In 2018, she received a Launching Fellowship to explore intervention design. Now a Research Fellow, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, she develops and tests new ways to improve infant sleep safety.

Marta is a Consultant Paediatric Pathologist and Clinical Director at Sheffield Children’s NHS Trust. She is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Sheffield, teaching medical students and supervising PhD and BMedSci students. Marta has an international research profile and is a leader in paediatric pathology and sudden infant death investigation. She holds multiple academic and professional roles, including Senior Examiner for the Royal College of Pathologists. Marta was named in The Pathologist’s Power List and has co-edited books and contributed to journals.

Claire is National Clinical Lead for the Strategic Clinical Network for Child Health (NHS Wales), Paediatric Lead for the Child Death Review Programme (PHW), and a Consultant Community Paediatrician in safeguarding in Cardiff and Vale UHB and South Wales Regional SARC. With experience as Designated Doctor for Safeguarding Children, she has led work to improve safeguarding processes within the NHS and with multiagency partners. Recently, she authored the revision of PRUDiC 23 and contributed to the Thirlwall Public Inquiry, focusing on child death processes in Wales. Claire is passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people.

Alison is the CEO/Executive Director of First Candle, a U.S. charity focused on SIDS. She became involved after the loss of her son to SIDS in 1997 and assumed the role of Executive Director in 2016. She has guided First Candle through rebranding, focusing on addressing racial disparities in SIDS rates and implicit bias. Alison developed safe sleep training and parent education programs. She collaborates with agencies like the CDC and March of Dimes and prioritizes bereavement support for families. Alison is mum to four children and step mum to two. She is also on the Board of STAR Inc, serving people with developmental disabilities.

Joanna is a Consultant Community Paediatrician in Birmingham, working with SUDI and SIDS families since 2006. She helped establish the original multi-agency SUDI training at Warwick University. Her 2015 PhD evaluated the Joint Agency Investigation of SUDI, influencing the 2016 Kennedy guidance. Her research focuses on improving child safeguarding, preventing SUDI, supporting families with recurrent SUDI, and addressing child protection concerns related to mortality. Joanna is the Designated Doctor for Child Death in Birmingham and Solihull, leads the local SUDI service, and chairs child death review groups both locally and internationally.

Mike is Emeritus Professor of Medical Statistics at the University of Sheffield. He became interested in working on SIDS in Southampton when a close friend had a baby that died of SIDS. In the course of his work, he has conducted research on the relationship of SIDS and the weather. When he came to Sheffield he joined the Care of the Next Infant (CONI) team and gave courses on risk to CONI coordinators. He has analysed data from CONI and looked at risks associated with babies subsequent to a SIDS baby.

Helen is Professor of Anthropology at Durham University and Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre, an academic research unit studying parent-baby sleep behaviour. She has authored over 120 publications on infant care. Helen co-founded Basis (the Baby Sleep Info Source) in 2012, and has served as Chair of our Grants Committee since 2016. She was an elected board member of ISPID (International Society for the Study and Prevention of Infant Deaths) and Associate Editor of Sleep Health, the journal of the National Sleep Foundation. In 2018 she received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for her research and outreach in infant sleep.

Emily is a Paediatrician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, qualified from Imperial College in 2012. She has worked across hospitals in North-West London during her training. In 2020, she received a Medical Research Council Fellowship and now divides her time between research at Imperial College’s Academic Neonatal Medicine department and clinical work on the neonatal unit at Chelsea. Her research focuses on long-term health outcomes for preterm children. Emily serves on the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health's Engagement Committee and the GOSH parent advisory group. She lives in South-west London with her partner and children.

Carol began her career in retail management at Mothercare. After the birth of her first daughter in 1985, she founded Kid Rapt in 1992 to launch Matchguard, a child restraint matchbox cover. Initially, the company connected local authorities with product suppliers to address safety concerns. Over time, Carol collaborated with organizations like The Child Accident Prevention Trust, RoSPA, and The Lullaby Trust. Kid Rapt partners with RoSPA on the SAFE AT HOME scheme. Carol is also Vice Chair of RoSPA's National Home Safety Committee, working with product safety experts and the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

Sally is a specialist in early childhood development, family relationships and mental health. She joined the Board because – as a parent and professional – she saw the need for families to get compassionate, evidence-based sleep advice.

A trustee for three years, she sits on the Scientific Advisory Committee and has also run a half marathon for the charity.

Assistant Director at the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, she’s had a varied career in charities and national and local governments, leading teams to develop and implement interventions for families in the early years, and campaigning successfully to drive policy change.

Sylvia is Deputy Director of the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) Programme at the University of Bristol, leading analytical, reporting, and research efforts. With over 20 years of experience in clinical audits, national data collection, and public health, Sylvia has worked with the NHS, Public Health England, and the Department of Health and Social Care. She also collaborates internationally with EUROCAT and the World Health Organization. Sylvia holds master's degrees in Health, Population and Society (LSE) and International Relations, along with a degree in Greek Linguistics. She is passionate about turning knowledge into action.

Michelle is a registered midwife working in the midwifery arena for more than 40 years. She is currently an Education Advisor at the Royal College of Midwives. An experienced health professional, she has worked in acute and community midwifery settings, in Higher Education and in regulation with the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council. Consequently she has a strong background in regulation, professional advice, project leadership, public engagement and higher education.

Margaret is Director of Prevention, Education and Research at Red Nose Australia, focusing on safe sleep, safer pregnancy, and bereavement support. A bereaved parent, she led the Hospital to Home pilot, offering peer support to families after stillbirth or neonatal death. She contributed to Safer Care Victoria’s Safer Baby Collaborative and sits on healthcare inclusion groups. Margaret ensures Red Nose’s programs support their mission to save little lives and raise awareness of the impact of baby and child loss.

Eddie is Senior Medical Advisor for Paediatrics at the Scottish Government and Deputy Medical Director of NHS Lothian. A consultant paediatric anaesthetist in Edinburgh since 1996, he helped introduce Scotland’s Child Death Review process and set up the National Hub for reviewing child deaths. He sits on the Crown Office’s Child Death and Non-Accidental Injuries Improvement Board and has supported public protection policy. Eddie has contributed to developing children’s healthcare services and improving care pathways across Scotland.

Dr. Stephanie Henderson-Begg is a management consultant and company director advising bank boards on risk and regulation.

She has expertise in governance, risk management, and banking strategies. Stephanie has a passion for training, honed during her time as a Senior Lecturer at the University of East London, and a background in biomedical research.

She chairs the Board of Trustees for The Lullaby Trust and has held various leadership roles in local schools and clubs. A bereaved parent, Stephanie is a mother to two living children and has personal experience with the services she supports.

Ruth is Head of Strategic Innovation Programmes for Biosciences at UK Research and Innovation, where she connects researchers, innovators, and businesses to tackle shared challenges with societal and economic benefits. With a background in Microbiology, Ruth has gained broad insight into UK bioscience research. She supports the Grants Committee personally, motivated by her desire to help bereaved families and her belief that research and innovation can reduce SIDS frequency in the future.

Rita is a registered nurse with over ten years' experience in the NHS. She is a member of the European Sleep Research Society and the British Sleep Society and works with Portuguese-speaking families on safer sleep, an audience with far less access to evidence-based information in their own language. Rita joined the Grants Committee to help bring that evidence to more families, wherever they are.

Lalitha is a life science researcher with a PhD in Genetics from SOKENDAI, Japan, where her research focused on behavioral neuroscience and parental behavior. She has a background in biotechnology, molecular biology, and reproductive biology, with research experience in India and Japan.

She has published scientific papers, presented at international conferences, and works as a freelance scientific manuscript reviewer. As a mother and researcher, Lalitha believes that evidence-based research can improve infant health, support families, and help reduce the risk of sudden infant death in the future.

Sophie is a PhD student at Durham University, and the Co-Manager of the Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre, a research centre studying the sleep behaviour of parents and babies. Sophie’s PhD aims to address the prevention of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy in families in the North East of England using participatory research methods. Her other academic publications to date examine the health, safety, and wellbeing of mothers and infants in temporary asylum accommodation, and the safe use of adult-worn slings and baby carriers.

Helen Smith is a registered adult nurse, specialist community public health nurse (health visitor) and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. As an infant feeding lead, she is experienced in implementing the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative standards within a public health nursing service. She supports parents with infant feeding which includes providing information on safer sleep.

Laura leads partnerships, engagement and research funding in health and social care at Lancaster University, bringing over 20 years’ experience across the NHS, charities, public sector and academia. She has experience designing funding programmes and making research funding decisions through grant committees and panels. Laura is a charity trustee and former NHS governor and board member. She leads Lancaster University’s humanitarian scholarship programme for academics at risk of persecution. As a mum of three, Laura is passionate about keeping babies safe and supporting families.

Nikki is CEO and co-founder of SUDC UK and holds a PhD in biochemistry. Following the sudden unexplained death of her two-year-old daughter, Rosie, in 2013, she has dedicated her career to improving care for bereaved families and advancing research. The Lullaby Trust supported SUDC UK’s launch in 2018, and the organisations have since collaborated to drive progress. Nikki leads national training and policy for SUDC and successfully advocated for the SIDS/SUDC NHS diagnostic genetic testing pathway. She has extensive experience in family support and medical research review and serves on several national and international committees.

Michael Goodstein is a board-certified neonatologist from York, Pennsylvania, with over 30 years’ experience at York Hospital, where he is Director of Newborn Services. He is also a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Penn State and Temple University. He established the York County Cribs for Kids Program in 2003 and serves on the National Cribs for Kids board. Dr. Goodstein is Medical Director for the National Collaborative for Safe Infant Sleep and has been a member of the AAP Task Force on SIDS since 2010. He also serves on the ISPID board and was awarded its 2025 Achievement Award for Distinguished Educator.

George is the Global Head of Public Web Services & Content at HSBC, leading digital marketing activity across 30+ locations. He has extensive experience of strategic development, digital & operational transformation and risk management in financial services and has lived & worked across the UK, Middle East, Asia Pacific and North America.

Outside of work George volunteers as a School Governor and Chair of Finance at a local primary school, a previous non-exec director at a start-up and a mentor to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. George is a rainbow baby with lived experience of being raised with support from the CONI program.