[3] Her research contributions included studying the effects of chemical pollutants on the brain and identifying pharmacological agents that interact with drugs of abuse such as cocaine.

She grew up in a segregated society in the small rural town of Clarksdale, Mississippi, where at the time black and white children attended different schools.

Regarding her work in this student group, Shockley said, "I believe or hope that we dispelled some of the fallacy of racial, ethnic and religious inferiority.

After finishing her PhD, she received a Fulbright Fellowship and worked with Dr. Knud Moller at the Pharmacology Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1955 to 1957.

[7] During her time as a chairperson, Shockley focused on improving the Pharmacology PhD program funding and training quality at Meharry.

[10][11] Furthermore, her research showed that the effects of benzo(a)pyrene, which is present in tobacco smoke and grilled meats, are mediated by oxidative stress.

[13][14][15] Her research identified that Isradipine, a calcium channel antagonist, decreased the behavioral effects of cocaine in rats.

She identified her work as an educator and improving the PhD training program at Meharry, which was serving a predominantly African American student population.

In 2010, the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) established a travel award in her honor for underrepresented students to attend their Annual meeting.