Nicola graduated from Leicester Polytechnic in 1986 with a BSc in Science and the Environment (Biotechnology). After completing a 2-year contract as a research assistant, she moved to Oxfordshire to join Cellmark Diagnostics. Whilst there she carried out DNA finger printing analysis (for paternity and immigration purposes) before moving into the development and validation of genetic diagnostics tests. She is currently managing a team of scientists at Oxford Biomedica who are at the forefront of the very exciting cell and gene therapy field.

She has been a member of the ATOM society for a number of years and have also helped with the annual ATOM Science & Technology Festival.