Courtney Walker
Research Associate
My love for animals began at a very young age when my family got our first cat, Benny. He was a large orange tabby who lived for a long 20 years by my side. As a kid, I knew I wanted to work in the field of veterinary medicine and I’m thrilled that I’ve been able to pursue these dreams as an adult.
I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. On a whim, I moved to Fort Collins in 2011. I earned a veterinary technology degree from Front Range Community College and then started the first part of my career working as a vet tech. First, I worked at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and then at the Denver Zoo. From there, I moved to a general practice veterinary hospital, followed by an emergency hospital.
While I loved these jobs, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to pursue passions in other sectors of the field. I returned to Colorado State University where I completed my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry.
While I was in school, I worked as a student researcher in an ecology lab. This eventually led me to work in Dr. Gustafason’s pharmacology lab at the Flint Animal Cancer Center. It didn’t take long for me to find that this is exactly where I’m meant to be. I studied biochemistry with the goal of working in research, especially if it could somehow be tied to veterinary medicine. This job is the perfect blend of my passion for animals and my interest in research.
After I graduated, I was very excited to start a full-time position in the lab. Working here is a dream. I come to work every day and get to contribute to such important studies. I love my job and I love what I do.
As a research associate, I do both cell work and studies with the mass spectrometer. My day involves taking care of my cell lines including splitting cells into new flasks, checking their RFP expression on the Incucyte, or using the pipetting robot to start a drug dosing study. After I’m finished with my cell work for the day, I move on to studies on the mass spectrometer. I love that I get to work on something new, challenging, and dog-related every day.
Outside of work, you can find me hiking, camping, or fishing – all with my dog, Roman. He’s a Doberman and is just the best thing in this world. I’m passionate about oncology research because as a large-breed owner, I know that he is especially prone to cancer. I am proud to be working toward better cancer treatments for all.