Meet Sprout – Dr Vanessa Cooper, Principal

For the fourth installment of the Meet Sprout series, we speak to Principal, Dr Vanessa Cooper, about their work, what brought them here and what makes them tick.

1. What does your role at Sprout involve?

I love the variety of things that I do, from the initial ideas stages of projects, working with teams to develop ideas into project plans and proposals, creating content and outputs for clients, writing reports and papers. Each project is unique, we tailor our methods and ideas for the context and patient or HCP population we are working with, so we are always thinking about how best to solve the problem at hand.

2. What led you to this career?

I’ve been lucky to be able to follow my interests and meet people who have inspired and helped me along the way.  I’ve always been interested in understanding what makes people tick – so psychology was an easy choice. After my degree ended, I worked as a research assistant on a diverse selection of projects and became interested in health psychology. From there I did a master’s in health psychology, which led to a PhD exploring illness and treatment perceptions in people living with HIV, and several years since then working in university departments, the NHS and research consultancies.

3. What do you value most about the work you do at Sprout?

I value being part of a motivated team who each inspire me in different ways, but who are all dedicated to producing high quality outputs which enable our clients to better meet the needs of patients.  Sprout have picked staff who all bring something unique and valuable to the table. I value the honest and transparent approach that Sprout takes with every client and the supportive environment that Sprout provides which enables every member of the team to be innovative and productive.

4. What’s one thing you’re learning now, and why is it important?

I’m learning a lot about management from Sprout’s partners and project managers. It’s so important that staff get to develop their skills and express their ideas, know what is expected of them and have the support they need to achieve it and are able to maintain a healthy work – life balance. Sprout does this exceptionally well: working here is like being part of a well-functioning family.

5. What 3 words would your friends use to describe you?

I asked my daughter about this. She said…

• Excited
• Optimistic
• Curious

6. If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

I’ve always wanted to fly but I’d also like to be able to get rid of all the plastic packaging in the world. So I’ll choose the ability to fly round the world turning plastic packaging into something useful and biodegradable.

Follow Vanessa Cooper on LinkedIn here