Catherine pursued a PhD specialising in the mechanism of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 infection within the Virology section of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London. Following the completion of her doctoral studies, Catherine worked as a scientist with the Standards Lifecycle team at the MHRA, where she contributed to the development of WHO International Standards for viral vaccines.

In October 2023, Catherine began a Senior Scientist position with Sandy Douglas at the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford.