{"id":1497,"date":"2025-09-25T16:21:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T20:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utia.tennessee.edu\/spotlights\/?p=1497"},"modified":"2025-09-25T16:22:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T20:22:21","slug":"sherry-cox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utia.tennessee.edu\/spotlights\/sherry-cox\/","title":{"rendered":"Sherry Cox"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Clinical professor at UTCVM leads one of the nation\u2019s top veterinary pharmacology labs, advancing animal care through research and mentorship<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

Where are you from, and how did your career lead you to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM)<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am from East Tennessee. I was working on a degree in Toxicology at East Tennessee State University and my advisor introduced me to several faculty members at the UT College of Veterinary Medicine. I applied for a position, and the rest is history.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

What inspired you to pursue a career in pharmacology, and what does an average day in the life look like for you as director of the Pharmacology Lab<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I consider myself an analytical pharmacologist because I like instrumentation and I like being able to help veterinarians determine the right treatment plan.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

Can you describe the process of establishing the Pharmacology Lab at UTCVM? What were some challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To establish something takes time. You have to provide a service that is needed, and you have to provide accurate, dependable results. If something isn\u2019t correct, it could cost an animal its life. So, it took time to establish the lab, and of course funding is always an issue. We had to obtain the necessary equipment, which is expensive, to perform the type of work that we do. Ultimately, it took time and persistence. We did manage to acquire funding for the instrumentation and personnel that we needed, and we have since developed a reputation for being one of the top labs in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

What is your main research focus, and how has your work advanced the field of veterinary pharmacology?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My focus is to advance research, and we are currently collaborating with many other investigators. Today as I write this, we are working on seven different projects with people from zoos, aquariums and universities across the country and next week we may have a dozen more different projects that we will start.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n

What does an average day in the life look like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n