Harriet graduated from the University of Bristol with an MSci in Chemistry in 2010. Her third year was spent in Grenoble as part of the Erasmus exchange program. Here, as well as studying, she carried out a 3 month research project developing new, artificial metalloenzymes. During her final year at Bristol she worked on a project helping to improve the robustness of palaeodietary reconstruction. Before joining the CDT she spent a year working in France and travelling around Asia.