Fiona graduated with an MChem in Medicinal Chemistry with Pharmacology from the University of Liverpool in 2010. She joined the group later that year to study for a PhD focusing on the synthesis of Branched Dendritic Polymers. During her final year of undergraduate study she worked on a project involving the synthesis of macromonomers supervised by Prof. Steve Rannard and Dr. Jon Weaver. She also completed an EPSRC Summer Vacation Scheme in 2008 with Steve focusing on living anionic polymerisation.

Fiona successfully defended her thesis in 2014 and moved to Stockholm to conduct postdoctoral studies with Professor Anna Carlmark Malkoch. Fiona then conducted an additional postdoctoral post with Professor Steve Armes in Sheffield before taking a lectureship at Loughborough University.