Catherine Harwood qualified in medicine from Cambridge University and St Thomas ' Hospital London in 1987. She trained in Dermatology as a registrar at St George's Hospital (1992-5). She then undertook research in the Centre for Cutaneous Research, Royal London Hospital , as an MRC Clinical Training Fellow (1995-8) and obtained a PhD on HPV and the molecular basis of non-melanoma skin cancer. After further SpR training at Barts and the London NHS Trust (1999-2001) she was appointed as a Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Dermatologist to the Cancer Research-UK Skin Tumour Laboratory Clinical Programme. Catherine was promoted to Reader in Dermatology in October 2010.