Sophie is the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. The Commissioner is an independent statutory position that serves as an independent voice for the environment in the ACT.

Prior to this, she researched the connection between climate change and extreme weather and climate events. She published over 50 research articles on climate change and variability during her roles at the University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University. In 2014 Sophie was awarded an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship. From 2018, she served as a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report.

In 2019, she was named 2019 ACT Scientist of the Year in recognition of her research excellence and her commitment to children and young people and their futures in a changing climate.