Catherine Heffernan is a graduate of Green College, University of Oxford, where she obtained a D.Phil. in Sociology in 2002. Following the completion of her doctoral thesis on sexually transmitted infections and sexual behaviours in the Republic of Ireland, she spent three years working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Public Health, University of Oxford. Her research consisted of developing national evidence-based guidelines for the provision of care for patients with Motor Neurone Disease, measuring outcomes for neurological disorders, missing data analysis and continuing her work on sexual health. Throughout her doctoral and post-doctoral career, she lectured and tutored on sociology, social policy, public health and research methodologies. She supervised post graduate and undergraduate theses and undertook consultancy work on various social and health research projects. During this time, she also became a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, organising talks in her role as secretary on the Official Statistics Committee and was an advisor on survey and questionnaire design for the Thames Valley Research Development Support Unit, an NHS R&D funded Programme to provide research advice and support to NHS managers and health professionals.

Catherine's interest in public health communication was spawned by her days studying science journalism for her Masters in Science Communication at Dublin City University (1997). She also holds an MSc in Applied Social Research (1998) from Trinity College Dublin and a BA in English Literature and Sociology (1996) from University College Cork. Since 2005, Catherine has been training to be a Consultant in Public Health. This is a 5 year higher specialist training programme overseen by the Faculty of Public Health and open to both qualified medical doctors and those from other public health disciplines. Since December 2007, she is also an honorary Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Leeds.

Outside work, Catherine has a long standing involvement in the arts, holding teaching and performing diplomas in music and speech and drama. She has appeared in numerous amateur plays, films and musicals and has occasionally stepped into the role of director and scriptwriter of pantomimes. Recently, she branched out into interior design after completing a certificate. When she's not choosing colour schemes, Catherine enjoys travel, wine tasting, power walking and television!