She began her career with a final-year project on corrosion in her degree in mechanical engineering, and continued a PhD at The University of Glasgow. After her graduation, she moved straight from her doctorate into a lectureship at Heriot-Watt University, progressing to reader and then professor. During this transition, she focused her research on flow assurance in oil and gas.

While this still remains an important part of her work, since her move to the University of Leeds, her interests have further expanded into new areas of research, including biological systems alongside the more usual mechanical and chemical aspects of her work.