Graduating in 2008 from the University of Bristol Karen spent 18 months in mixed practice before moving to The Donkey Sanctuary where she spent 10 years as a veterinary surgeon, gaining her CertAVP (Equine Dentistry) in 2017. Moving to the University of Surrey as a Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Practice in 2020, working primarily with the final years in a distributed model of teaching, she also had Senior tutor responsiblity (years 4-5) and spent 4 years as the school Disability and Neurodiversity Advisor. Gaining experience in these areas led to moving back to the University of Bristol to increase her focus onto the pastoral care and EDI aspects of the veterinary degree.