Her research in plant development employs translational approaches to address crop improvement. Specifically, she uses cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), a substantial commodity crop, to identify and explore developmental mechanisms that can benefit productivity. Dr. McGarry obtained her BSc from the University of Lethbridge, Canada, MSc from the University of Alberta, Canada, and PhD from Cornell University. Her doctoral research was awarded a prestigious national scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She conducted post-doctoral research with Dr. Brian Ayre at the University of North Texas, and pursued professional development leave with Dr. Friedrich Kragler at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam-Golm, Germany.