Dr Gillian Sandstrom recognised by Kindness & Leadership, 50 Leading Lights campaign
Posted on behalf of: Internal Communications
Last updated: Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Dr Gillian Sandstrom
Dr Gillian Sandstrom, Associate Professor in the Psychology of Kindness, has been recognised by the Kindness & Leadership, 50 Leadings Lights campaign for her work leading the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness. The missionof the Leading Lights campaign is to encourage leaders to be kind, no matter their role or organisation.
Gillian, who has been at Sussex since 2022, is the Director of the groundbreaking Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness, which brings together an interdisciplinary team of academics and diverse community partners to explore, investigate, and illuminate kindness and its impacts on people and communities. Gillian started her career as a computer programmer before retraining in psychology, and her research is focused on the benefits of social interaction and the barriers that prevent people from connecting.She has also supported campaigns that encourage people to experience the power of kindness through connecting with others, in partnership with organisations such as Transport for London and GenWell in Canada.
Nominating Gillian for the campaign’s list, Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement, who received the same recognition in 2024 and whose own research has kindness at its heart, said: “Gillian’s commitment to kindness in leadership was apparent from my first encounter with her, when I was introduced to her unique ability to combine strong evidence-based insights with an engaging approach to social interaction. She unlocks the potential of others to find positive solutions through her research insights, supervision of student projects, an extensive profile of media interviews and podcasts, and her latest book Once Upon a Stranger. Put simply, interacting with Gillian makes us all feel better about ourselves and about the world.”
Gillian said: “I feel fortunate to work at a university where kindness is an explicit value and where there are so many colleagues across Faculties doing research that has kindness at its heart. I’m delighted by this recognition, which shines a light on the Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness and its goals to understand, encourage, and equalise kindness.”
Read more about the campaign,including the full list of awardees on the Kindness & Leadership website.