Caroline is Professor of Craniofacial Identification and Director of the Forensic Research Institute (FORRI) at Liverpool John Moores University.  She is a chartered forensic anthropologist Level I (craniofacial specialism) by the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI), an Accredited Senior Imaging Scientist (ASIS) and is an experienced forensic practitioner.

Caroline is currently Chair of the EU-funded COST Action for Migrant Disaster Victim Identification, a consortium created to enhance the identification of people who die trying to reach Europe from war torn or socioeconomically disrupted countries. 

Caroline is also Director of Face Lab, a research group within FORRI that carries out forensic/archaeological research and consultancy work including craniofacial analysis, facial depiction and facial identification. Craniofacial analysis involves the depiction and identification of unknown bodies for forensic investigation or historical figures for archaeological interpretation. Face Lab research relates to facial identification, craniofacial reconstruction, preserved bodies and facial animation. Face Lab has depicted the faces of King Richard III, Robert the Bruce, Ramesses II and Cleopatra.

Caroline is Fellow of the RAI, the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), the Anatomical Society and the Royal Photographic Society. She received the 2016 Combined Royal Colleges Medal for excellence in clinical imaging and the 2013 Royal Society Senior Medal for Public Engagement. The MDVI project received a Times Higher Education Award 2023 for Research Project of the Year; Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.