Karyn trained as a nurse, and then in psychology. She spent 21 years working with Police and helped establish the Violence Reduction Unit in 2003 with a Public Health approach to preventing violence. She is a member of the WHO Violence Prevention Alliance and helped set up the Medics Against Violence charity in Scotland, which speak to school children about violence reduction, injury and keeping safe.

She has also previously developed a plan to tackle violence for the Metropolitan Police and has published work on Armed Robbery teams, Alcohol and Violence Interventions in a clinical setting and Violence Reduction. In addition, Karyn is a Non-Executive Director at Scottish Professional Football League, a board member of Simon Community Scotland, a trustee of Medics Against Violence and Chair of the Centre for Justice Innovation.