Rowena joined the Royal Veterinary College as a PhD student (2009-2013), which was followed by positions as a Postdoctoral Researcher (2013-2016) and a BBSRC Future Leader Research Fellow (2017-2021). She was appointed Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science in 2020, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2024. Rowena's background is in animal behaviour and welfare, having graduated from the University of Bristol in 2009 with a BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare (1st Class; awarded the UFAW Dissertation Award for highest mark in final year project, and the University of Bristol Undergraduate Scholarship for highest aggregate exam marks). Her PhD, awarded in 2013, focused on inherited disorders related to extreme conformation in dogs, and was supervised by Dr Charlotte Burn and Dr Anke Hendricks at RVC. In 2016, she was awarded the UFAW Young Animal Welfare Scientist of the Year award. In 2021, she was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Veterinary Education (RVC) and became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.