Sue Ellen Cox, MD
Founder/Medical Director of Aesthetic Solutions
Sue Ellen’s drive to enter medicine came from her father, Dr. Rody Cox, who, at 92, has yet to exit the field. She has three children, Garrett, Liam and Caitlin – she’ll finish medical school this year. Sue Ellen herself graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and teaches at UNC School of Medicine and Duke University Medical Center.
E
VERYTHING WAS IN PLACE
for a successful “lunch and learn” at Dr. Sue Ellen Cox’s dermatology clinic, Aesthetic Solutions. About a dozen women who were considering the clinic’s latest laser treatment had gathered for a demo. Only one thing was missing: a patient. A woman who had agreed to play that role had cancelled. So Sue Ellen hopped on the table and had the demonstration done on her. “It was fine other than four days of looking a little swollen and red and having to explain myself to patients,” says Sue Ellen. Sue Ellen opened Aesthetic Solutions in 2004 with client work, from fat reduction to skin lasers to botox work, making up one side of the business. But the clinic also hosts and oversees industry-level clinical trials, including formal research and validation studies on new techniques, machines and drugs within the field. Results from her studies can make or break a product’s chances in the dermatology market. “My reputation is based on delivering results,” she says. “I definitely want to have that 100 percent knowledge.” She also emails frequently with a group of other leading women dermatologists across the country. The group, says Sue Ellen, was brought together several years ago by a pharmaceutical company for an industry trade show. “Much to the company’s surprise, we’ve stayed together,” she says. Self-named the “Derm Divas,” the group routinely swaps questions, experiences and even health warnings among their practices, which span from New York, Texas, California and even to Hawaii. “If something is not quite right, we hear about it like this,” she says, snapping her fingers. “Like if there’s a bad batch of botox, we’re kind of the first to know. Or if something works really well.” –Matt White 45
chapelhillmagazine.com May/June 2018
May/June 2018 chapelhillmagazine.com
45