Cherrell graduated from The University of Queensland in medicine and practiced for 30 years, predominantly as Director of the Wesley Breast Clinic.
She was Chancellor of QUT from 1994 to 2004 and since 2000 has been a Non-Executive Director and/or Chair of a wide variety of corporate entities across education, health biotechnology and insurance sectors. She is currently on the Board of Bolton Clarke Group. Cherrell recently stepped down from her directorship of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service and also as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Molecular Biosciences at the university of Queensland.
Cherrell has been awarded five honorary doctorates, a Centenary Medal (2003) and the title of Officer of the Order of Australia (1998). She was named Queenslander of the Year in 1995 and awarded the Queensland AICD Gold Medal in 2015.