Nolan was appointed a lecturer at the University of Glasgow in 1989 and Professor of Veterinary Pharmacology in 1998. She continues to hold the latter post and remains active in research focused on pain in animals. Nolan further pursued advanced clinical training, and received a diploma from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, as well as recognition from the European College of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, and the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia. In 1999, she was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the first female Dean at the University and the first woman to lead a British vet school.
Vice-Principal
In 2004, she was appointed Vice-Principal of the University with responsibility for Learning & Teaching, and in 2006 took on additional responsibility for Internationalisation. At the same time, Anton Muscatelli, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, was appointed Vice-Principal for Strategy, Budgeting and Advancement. In 2009, Muscatelli was appointed Principal of the University and shortly afterwards promoted Nolan to the new post of Senior Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor; Frank Coton, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, was appointed Vice-Principal for Learning & Teaching. In her new role, Nolan had particular responsibility for restructuring the University's nine Faculties into four new Colleges.
Principal & Vice Chancellor
Nolan was appointed Principal & Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University in 2013, succeeding Dame Joan Stringer to the post, and announced plans for a new University strategy for 2014–2019.
Other roles
Nolan is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Royal Agricultural Societies, and an honorary life member of the Association for Veterinary Teachers & Research Workers. She is also a member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Global Pain Council and a Trustee of two animal charities. Nolan has also been Chair of the Scottish Higher Education Enhancement Committee, part of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, and Convenor of Universities Scotland, the representative body for third-level institutions in Scotland. She has also been, and in some cases is, as of 2019, either a member of the board, or a trustee of, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, the Moredun Foundation, the Interface Strategic Advisory Board and Medical Research Scotland – Scottish Hospital Endowment Research Trust.
Recognition
Nolan has received awards including the Pfizer Academic Award for Animal Health Research, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association's Amoroso Awar, and, with collaborators, the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare Companion Animal Award for contributions to animal welfare. In 2014 Nolan was awarded an honorary OBE for her contributions to science.
