Renae Graduated from Murdoch University with a Bachelor’s degree in law with honours and Bachelor’s degree in economics. She subsequently completed her PhD at the University of Western Australia in 2014. Her thesis explored the development of the relationship between the state and religion in Australia from 1788 to modern Australia. She joined UWA as a lecture in 2013, having tutored at the university of a number of years.

Renae researches in the area of law and religion. Her particular areas of interest are religion and education, freedom of religion and state funding of religion.

Her current research focuses on the engagement of Muslim’s in the common law legal system. This includes the issue of the wearing of Islamic face veils (burqa and niqab) by witnesses and other participants in the court process. 

Renae’s Phd thesis was titled "The changing relationship between the State and religion in Australia: 1788 to modern Australia. What has changed?, What is the same? And what does that tell us?". It covered State restrictions on religious practice, religion and education and State funding of religion.