[1] Davidson attendedd Laurel Bank School, before studying medicine at the University of Glasgow.
Mackie held junior posts in Glasgow hospitals between completing her medical qualifications and obtaining her doctorate in 1970.
She remained in this post until 2001, when she was appointed as a senior research fellow in the Faculty of Medicine.
In 1998, she was among the founding fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and in 1999 the British Association of Dermatologists awarded her the Sir Archibald Grey Medal.
[1] In the 1999 Birthday Honours, Mackie was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.