Rate My Professor Sarah van Zoelen

Sarah van Zoelen serves as Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing at Loughborough University, leading a nurse-led service that supports the physical and mental health of employees on both campuses. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Cardiff University, where she was among the first cohorts to study nursing at degree level (1992-1996), and an MSc in Occupational Health from the University of Birmingham, achieved through a scholarship. Her professional journey began in medicine post-qualification as a registered nurse, spanning nearly 20 years in the NHS, followed by occupational health roles in provider organizations serving retail businesses, warehouses, emergency services, and Formula One motor racing. At Loughborough, she rebuilt the hybrid occupational health service into a fully in-house operation, establishing policies, protocols, and performance standards while building campus relationships to promote services.

Van Zoelen's leadership has driven substantial growth, with the service delivering over 1,500 staff appointments and 11 wellbeing events in 2023, up from under 100 management referrals annually. She developed an evidence-based wellbeing framework, including training for wellbeing champions, safeguarding measures, peer support, and collaborations with SuperWellness and in-house physiotherapy. Her impact includes re-tendering the Employee Assistance Programme, fast-tracking musculoskeletal referrals, and addressing post-COVID health challenges through holistic lifestyle medicine approaches focusing on diet, sleep, exercise, and connections. Recognized with the Vice-Chancellor's Annual Award for Health and Wellbeing in 2022 for transforming occupational health provision and advocating for wellbeing, and the Queen's Nurse title in 2024 for exemplary community nursing leadership and patient care, she also authors university policies such as the Health Surveillance Policy and contributes to wellbeing blogs on stress awareness, decluttering, and music's benefits.