Dr. Tara Grinnage-Pulley’s path as a veterinarian has taken her from Maryland to Tuskegee to Iowa State, then Iowa City and now back home in Maryland.
Along the way, Dr. Grinnage-Pulley honed her research interests and veterinary skills that led her to a position as a veterinary medical officer with the National Cancer Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Like most of us who knew we wanted to go veterinary school from middle or high school, I wanted to be a typical veterinarian,” said Dr. Grinnage-Pulley. “Originally I went down a very traditional path, earning an animal science degree with the plans of studying equine medicine.”
At the Biological Testing Branch she supports research to evaluate anti-cancer agents and develops models for a variety of cancers. She focuses on animal well-being and welfare of laboratory animals.
“I like the variety,” Grinnage-Pulley said. “I still get to work around animals and do veterinary things mostly with mice and a few rats. But I also get to be in the lab where I do research and generate data that human clinicians can use to improve cancer therapies.
“It’s being able to apply everything that you learn in vet school, all of the research-related things and still being challenged to do something new that makes this job exciting."
Learn more about Dr. Tara Grinnage-Pulley on-line.
