Dr Cherry, a middle-aged white woman with shoulder-length brown hair

Debra Cherry, MD, MS

Adjunct Associate Professor
Expertise: Safe Workplaces, Chemical hazards, Occupational Health, Occupational Medicine

About

Debra Cherry, M.D., M.S., is a board certified physician at Harborview, director of the UW Medicine Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency and a UW associate professor of General Internal Medicine and an adjunct associate professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. 

Dr. Cherry is an expert in injuries and illnesses that result from exposure in the workplace. She takes pride in promoting the health and safety of workers, assisting injured workers in their transition back to work and managing worker’s comp claims efficiently. 

Dr. Cherry is a member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Her clinical and research interests include work-related injury and illness, exposure to hazardous waste products, work hazards associated with commercial fishing and resident education.

Education

  • MD, Texas Tech University
  • MS, Stephen F Austin University

Mentorship

DEOHS Students Mentored

Risk Assessment and Follow up for People Exposed to PFAS
Brittany Millard-Hasting | MPH | 2023 | View

Association between veteran status and measures of noise induced hearing loss: A cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016 data
Duane Robinson | MPH | 2020 | View

Investigating occupation and environmental factors influencing the practice of safe firearm storage
Jason Dickens | MPH | 2020 | View

Determining how long truck driver whole-body vibration exposure data has to be collected to accurately estimate actual daily exposures
Richard Taing | MPH | 2020 | View

Correlation Analysis of Sleep Study Variables in Obese v. Non-obese Military Personnel Diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Stephen Cho | MPH | 2015 | View

Media Mentions

New EPA-approved pesticides stir controversy
December 8, 2025 | Everyday Health | Featured: Debra Cherry | View
How wildfire smoke could impact the military
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Debra Cherry, Lianne Sheppard, Luke Mease | View
Protecting the health of cannabis workers
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Coralynn Sack, Christopher D. Simpson, Debra Cherry | View
When telecommuting isn't an option
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Marissa Baker, Martin A. Cohen, Nancy Simcox, Debra Cherry | View