Professor Owens is an internationally recognized researcher in developmental physiology and endocrinology and in the early life programming of adult health and disease, diabetes and obesity in particular. She has published over 140 research papers, reviews and book chapters. She has been invited to present numerous plenary lectures or symposia at international or national conferences, and to convene and chair international symposia and plenary sessions at the First, Second and Third World Congresses for the Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease (previously Fetal Origins of Adult Disease). She was awarded the McCance Medal for outstanding contributions to perinatal research.