She received her veterinary degree from the University of Sydney, Australia, and then completed an MS in epidemiology and a PhD in ecology at the University of California, Davis, followed by postdoctoral work at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on pathogens that spill over from animals to people, the dynamics of zoonotic pathogens in wildlife populations, and pathogens that threaten wildlife conservation. Her laboratory uses a combination of field studies, laboratory work, and modelling to elucidate infectious disease dynamics in wildlife populations such as Hendra virus in flying foxes, pneumonia in bighorn sheep and white nose syndrome in bats.