Virginia trained in medicine in at the University of Queensland in Australia where she was awarded the University Medal. She came to the UK funded by Commonwealth and Gates Scholarships to complete a Masters in Epidemiology and PhD in Neuroimaging and Traumatic Brain Injury. Subsequent to completing her PhD in 2009 Virginia dual-trained in Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, and performed postdoctoral research as an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow. The majority of her clinical training was in Cambridge and surrounds with periods of time spent at The Canberra Hospital and The Alfred, Melbourne, in Australia. She also spent time in 2012 travelling in Canada, USA and Australia as a Churchill Scholar.
Since 2014 Virginia has held a Clinician Scientist Fellowship from the Academy of Medical Sciences and The Health Foundation which has allowed her to continue to combine her clinical work with research. In 2018 Virginia was appointed as an Honorary Consultant in both Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, as well as a Royal College of Emergency Medicine Associate Professor.