Professor Kinmonth studied in Oxford and then lectured in Primary Medical Care at the University of Southampton from 1983. She held the Foundation Chair of General Practice at the University of Cambridge from 1997 to 2011. Since then, she has been Director of Research at Cambridge, Clinical Director of Studies in St John's and mentor for the Academy of Medical Sciences. She has been Director of the St Johns College Reading Group on Health Inequalities since 2014. She was appointed CBE for Services to Primary Care Research.
Professor Kinmonth was a practising GP for 30 years and continues to teach General Practice in developing countries. She is academic lead for the Foundation for Family Medicine in Palestine.