Barbara graduated from the University of Leipzig, Germany, in 2001. After completing a Doctoral Thesis at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, Barbara accepted a position as Intern in a private referral centre in Switzerland in 2004. On completion of this programme she entered the joined Residency Programme in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Giessen, Germany, and the Royal Veterinary College of London and gained her Diplomate ECVIM-CA in 2008.

Prior to returning to the RVC as a Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine in December 2009 Barbara had been working as a specialist in a private referral centre in South-England.

Barbara is currently on the Editorial Board and an Associate Editor of the open access, EBVM journal Veterinary Evidence, which is published by RCVS Knowledge.