Sharon Patton, MS, PhD
Department of Comparative Medicine
University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine
Knoxville, Tennessee
Dr. Patton is a Distinguished Service Professor of Parasitology and Director of the Clinical Parasitology Diagnostic Service at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. She also serves as Leader of the Comparative Medicine Diagnostic Laboratory Section at UTCVM. She received her Ph.D. in parasitology from the University of Kentucky in Lexington where she was later a Post-doctoral Scholar in veterinary parasitology with Drs. J. H. Drudge and E. T. Lyons.
During her 30 years at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Patton has received several teaching awards including the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award for the Outstanding Teacher in Veterinary Medicine in North America in 1999, the “20 year Award” in 2004 given by the Class of 1984 to the Professor who has most impacted their lives, the SCAVMA Outstanding Educator Award (1984, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004), the Lindsay Young Outstanding Teacher Award (1983, 2001), the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award (1990, 1994, 1999), the Chancellor’s Teaching Scholar (1996-98), and the UT National Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award (1990). She also received the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists Meritorious Service Award (1996) and the UTK Faculty Women of Achievement Award (1995).
Dr. Patton is past president of the American Society of Parasitologists and the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists (SSP), a past member of the Executive Committee of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents, the Secretary-Treasurer of SSP, and a contributor to several other scientific societies including the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists.
Dr. Patton’s research interests include diagnostic parasitology, zoonotic parasites (particularly toxoplasmosis), heartworms in dogs and cats, and parasite-induced diseases of farm, companion, and exotic animals. She is author or co-author of over 100 scientific papers and has presented over 150 scientific and service talks.
Dr. Patton is married to Dr. Raymond McCord, a scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and has a daughter, Rachel, who is pursuing a PhD in Biophysics.