Darbyshire joined the Medical Research Council (MRC) in 1974, first co-ordinating clinical trials and epidemiological studies of tuberculosis, asthma and other respiratory diseases in the UK and East Africa for the MRC Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases Unit.
In 1980, Darbyshire was awarded an MSc by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
[3] As of 2013, she is on the board of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and the Society for Clinical Trials.
[4][5] Darbyshire is a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences,[6] the Royal College of Physicians[citation needed] and the Society for Clinical Trials.
[8] In 2018, Darbyshire was awarded the MRC Millennium Medal for her "world-leading research on clinical trials and epidemiology has prevented disease and saved lives across the world".