Originally from a small village in the UK, Kerry relocated to Australia after being awarded the Northcote Postgraduate Scholarship to undertake a Master of Marine Biology at James Cook University (JCU). She completed her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography at the University of Plymouth, where her research on the whitefin swellshark (Cephaloscyllium albipinnum) received the Ocean Conservation Trust Prize for Best Marine Biology Project in Marine Conservation and was subsequently published.

Alongside her academic work, Kerry is actively involved in science communication and outreach as the Social Media Coordinator and Photographer for The FINstitute, a student-led shark conservation consortium at JCU. In this role, she develops digital content that reflects the society's mission while promoting events, research opportunities, and volunteer and internship programmes. Through both her research and outreach, she aims to contribute to effective shark and ray conservation and to improve public understanding of these species.