Karen has a significant background in pharmacy education and training. She has worked as an Associate Lecturer for the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology, and as an Education and Training Coordinator within a Queensland Health Pharmacy Practice Development Unit. She contributed to the early development and implementation of pharmacy workplace-based assessment tools such as the General Level Framework and ClinCAT, and designed and delivered workshops to support pharmacy practitioner development.

Karen has consulted on projects for the Australian Pharmacy Council including Advanced and Extended Pharmacy Practice and the Intern Year Blueprint. She has conducted research in allied health prescribing, taught on prescribing training programs, and worked with the Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer to deliver transition of care and collaborative pharmacist medication prescribing projects.

Since 2024, she has been working as the Queensland Health Statewide Pharmacy Clinical Education and Training Program Manager and has been instrumental in strengthening collaboration with education providers. Through the Queensland Health Pharmacy Education Collaborative, she is currently leading initiatives to support workforce readiness and facilitate the transition to the new Doctor of Pharmacy programs.