She is International Director of the technology transfer organization PraxisUnico and a visiting professor at Imperial College London.

Carey was awarded her Doctorate (PhD) by research thesis on the virology of the maedi-visna virus which affects sheep, in 1993.

[9][10] In 2001 she left academia to work in industry although since 2013 she has been a visiting professor in the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London[11] in conjunction with her professional career.

[12] From May 2011 until July 2014 she was Senior Director in External Research and Development Innovation at Pfizer[13][10] where she focused on identifying new collaborative opportunities in the field of epigenetics.

[28] Hepburn's figure was a result of lifelong illnesses brought on by her deprivation during the Dutch famine of 1944–45 during World War II.

[28] The book discusses controversies which are a part of this rapidly developing field and explores explanations other than epigenetics for some findings.

[30] Other reviewers also found the book "a bit jargon heavy",[31] while some felt this was "not so much her fault as the nature of biology".

She explains the "most fundamental reason for the shift in emphasis is the sheer volume of junk DNA that our cells contain.

"[35] It is recommended for "any nonspecialist who would like a captivating, thorough, and up-to-date introduction...[to] the bigger picture of our wonderful and messy genome.

"[38] This book examines the field of epigenetics, its possible applications to medicine and the challenges in using the research safely and efficaciously.

[39] It includes for example: a chapter by Karl P. Nightingale which defines epigenetics and explains why it matters;[40] a chapter by Tom D. Heightman and Michael McCullar which focuses "on the biochemical mechanisms controlling DNA methylation, consequences of aberrant DNA methylation in complex chronic diseases, existing modulators of DNA methylation used in the clinic, and opportunities for new drugs targeting this central epigenetic mechanism"[41] and a chapter titled "Progress in Targeting Epigenetic Readers" by Chun-Wa Chung.

This system allows the scientists to precisely and easily manipulate the genes of any living organism in a short period of time.