Dr Lownie graduated with her medical degree (MBBCh) from Wits University in 2003.
She completed her internship at Groote Schuur Hospital in 2004 and her community service at East Griqualand and Usher Memorial Hospital in Kokstad.

Thereafter Dr Lownie was diagnosed with a form of cancer which carries a prognosis of less than 20% chance of 5-year survival. As a result of the treatments and surgeries which she had to undergo, working in clinical medicine was almost impossible and so Dr Lownie worked for several years as a clinical trial coordinator, research programme manager and ultimately became the Trauma Programme Manager at Netcare Milpark Hospital. She gained invaluable insights not only into trauma and emergency medicine, but also gained experience in the management of clinical trials and other important areas of research. During this period, she completed a Master of Science in Emergency Medicine degree (MSc Med Emergency Medicine) and got clinical experience working in various private Emergency Departments in Johannesburg.

In 2012 Dr Lownie left Netcare to work for a few months in a corporate pharmaceutical environment. It was this experience combined with her personal experiences with cancer which piqued her interest in the field of Psychiatry and mental health.