Catherine has extensive experience in emergency management, as the NSW state epidemiologist for events including diseases and pests of terrestrials, aquatics, plant pests and invasive species. Graduating from Sydney University in 1993 (BVSc), she worked in mixed practice in Australia and England, prior to joining NSW Agriculture from 1997 to 2008, where she worked in the field, involved in disease investigations, research, policy, health programs and epidemiology. She attained a Master of Veterinary Public Health Management (MVPHMgt) at Sydney University in 2006, rejoined NSW DPI in 2016, and achieved Memberships of the ANZCVS Epidemiology chapter in 2021.