Dr Sally Pezaro

Dr. Sally Pezaro is a globally recognized midwife, researcher, and academic whose career has been defined by a relentless commitment to the psychological safety and well-being of the healthcare workforce. As an academic at Coventry University and a Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), Dr Pezaro has dedicated their professional life to exploring the “messy” realities of clinical practice, moving beyond the “hero” narrative to address the authentic, lived experiences of those on the front lines.

Driven by their own experiences and a deep sense of justice, Dr. Pezaro’s work specializes in the intersection of professional excellence and staff wellbeing, including topics around problematic substance use, professional identity and compassionate leadership. She is the lead researcher behind the “Humans Not Heroes” project, an arts-based inquiry that utilizes verbatim narratives to highlight the moral injury and emotional labour inherent in modern healthcare.

Dr Pezaro consistently challenges the status quo, pushing for a fundamental reimagining of the midwifery profession. Dr Pezaro’s vision is to ensure that midwives do not just survive the challenges of the profession but thrive within a system that values their humanity as much as their specialist and tacit knowledge.