Dr Lawton (Ngāti Porou) trained at Otago medical school. She worked as a general practitioner in Newtown, Wellington for and co-founded the Wellington menopause clinic. These experiences lead to an interest in research to answer the many questions relevant to women’s health.

She joined the Department of General Practice and Primary Healthcare in 1998 which was followed by the establishment of the Women’s Health Research Centre. Bev was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004, for services to women’s health.

She is currently a member of the New Zealand Perinatal Maternal Mortality Committee and Member of the National Kaitiaki group for the cervical screening program.

Bev's areas of research interest include women’s health with specific focus on sexual and reproductive health, mid-life health and menopause, diabetes and heart disease risk, clinical trials, Māori Health and inequalities, Kaupapa Māori research, Maternal and infant health.