Dr McGowan read Biochemistry at Hertford College, Oxford University and Medicine at the Royal Free Hospital London in 1998. She was awarded a PhD from Imperial College in 2007 for investigating the role of gut hormones and other neuropeptides in appetite control. She was appointed as a Consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Diabetes and Endocrinology at GSTT in 2009.

Dr McGowan leads the obesity bariatric service where she manages patients with complex obesity. Her areas of research interest include gut hormones and remission of type 2 diabetes post-bariatric surgery. Her endocrine specialty interests are in adrenal pituitary and hereditary neuroendocrine disease.

Dr McGowan has been teaching on the Ealing PACES course since 2003. She has a vast teaching experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. She is a lecturer, examiner and educational supervisor to BSc students for the Diabetes and clinical and molecular Endocrinology Bsc programme. She teaches the obesity/appetite module and endocrinology lectures. Her teaching modalities include bed-side teaching, case-based discussions, lectures and in out-patient settings. She is involved in examining medical students in OSCE exams, BSc students and she is also a PhD examiner. She has completed a postgraduate Master degree in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at Imperial College London (2007-2009).