Gayle studied Environmental Health, at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff. With prior roles in Bristol and Caerphilly Councils, she became the Group Leader for noise and air pollution at Cardiff City Council in 2007. In November 2011, Gayle joined Cardiff Metropolitan University as part of the Environmental Health teaching team. Gayle was programme director between September 2015 and August 2021 and stepped back from this role to complete a PhD. Gayle is a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and member of the All Wales Expert Panel on Pollution Control. Gayle holds a Masters in Public Health from Cardiff University and post graduate certificate in Acoustics and noise control engineering, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is currently undertaking a PhD.