Motivated by a desire to improve access to safe, skilled surgical care in conflict-affected communities, Eleanor established the David Nott Foundation in 2015.  

Since 2015 the DNF has trained over 2,000 doctors in life and limb-saving surgical skills. Eleanor oversaw the development of the Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) course, a trademarked programme accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and supported by bespoke simulation equipment. Training is informed by a strategy of localisation where local medical professionals are supported with the knowledge and skills to train their colleagues and improve national health systems.  

 After graduating from St Hilda’s College, Oxford, in Modern History, Eleanor worked for a small social enterprise in southeast London. Between 2010 and 2014 she worked for the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank in London and Bahrain. Eleanor was recognised with her husband and Co-Founder, Professor David Nott, on Foreign Policy’s Global Thinkers list of 2016 for their work training doctors in conflict areas. She has contributed to The Telegraph, British Medical Journal, IISS Voices, CNN and has appeared on Sky News.  

 Eleanor is a PhD student in the department of War Studies at King’s College London. Her research is supported by the Research for Health Systems Strengthening in Syria (R4HSSS) programme and focuses on the role of health organisations in providing governance from the ground up in northwest Syria.