She stayed there to conduct research, supervised by Guy Marrian, and in 1961 received a PhD for her thesis entitled The metabolism of cholesterol in the animal body.

[1] After taking a break from working in order to look after her young children, in 1967 Mawer became a research associate at the University of Manchester, studying vitamin D and metabolic bone disease with William Stanbury.

Mawer was among the founders of Manchester's Bone Disease Research Centre and served as its deputy director from its inception in 1994 until 1997.

[1][4] Mawer took part in local politics, serving as a parish councillor and school governor in Thelwall, Warrington, where she lived.

[2] During her tenure the number of Liberal Democrat councillors more than doubled; she herself was well regarded for her intelligence and hard work for the local community.