Rachel graduated in 2004 with a 2:1 Honours Degree in Archaeology with Bioarchaeological Science. She completed a dissertation on dietary change at the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition in Europe using archaeological and stable isotope data from Danish shell middens.

She then went on to Durham University to complete a M.Sc. in Palaeopathology. Her research during this concentrated on the neurological and social implications of cranial trauma in the Medieval period.

She started working for Cotswold Archaeology in April 2007. During this time she worked on two large pipelines in Oxfordshire and South Wales. She also worked on a range of Prehistoric, Roman and Romano-British sites.

Rachel came to work for North Pennines Archaeology Ltd in January 2008 as a Project Assistant . She also acts as an Environmental Assistant and carries out Human Bone analysis on any human remains found on NPA sites.