While studying at Queen's University, Downie volunteered at Kingston General Hospital as a candy striper.

Upon her return to Canada, Downie accepted a position as a research associate at the Westminster Institute for Ethics and Human Values.

[3] In 2004, she published "Dying Justice: A Case for Decriminalizing Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada.

She served as a Special Advisor to the Canadian Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide and worked with the pro bono legal team in the case.

[11] The next year, she received the 2016 CIHR Barer-Flood Prize in Health Services and Policy Research.