 She enrolled at the University of London and obtained a first class degree in physiology (1976) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1979) from Queen Elizabeth College, now part of King's College, London.Rothwell was later awarded a Doctor of Science degree in 1987 by King's College London and an honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Bath in 2009.Rothwell's early research identified mechanisms of energy balance regulation, obesity and cachexia.