She started her academic career in the U.K. (B.Sc. University of Glasgow, Ph.D. University of London), with 2 post-doctorates from University of Stirling, U.K. She then moved to a personal research fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 at Cardiff University, and continued to work there as a Senior Lecturer until early 2008, when she moved across the globe to Deakin University. Her research interests span the evolution of avian signals, endocrine responses to stress and avian immune function, working on a range of native and non-native species. Kate is the Editor of BirdLife Australia’s premier scientific journal Emu — Austral Ornithology and also serves on BirdLife Australia’s Student Awards Committee.