Emma Courtney

Hi! I’m Emma Courtney, a scientist and advocate working at the intersections of research, policy, and public engagement.

I’m currently pursuing my PhD in biology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory with Dr. Camila dos Santos, where I study how environmental factors and genetics interact to influence breast cancer progression. I’m supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and my work spans molecular biology, systems-level analysis, and translational approaches aimed at better understanding, and ultimately reducing, the burden of metastatic breast cancer.

I earned my undergraduate degree at Minerva University, where I studied Natural Sciences and Social Sciences (with concentrations in biochemistry, Earth science, and empirical approaches to the social sciences) while living and learning in Berlin, Buenos Aires, London, San Francisco, and Seoul.

I’m passionate about making science more accessible, equitable, and socially responsive. I co-founded Science for Good, a nonprofit that helps scientists build meaningful connections with communities and policymakers, and previously co-founded and co-led Stand Up for Science, an international mobilization effort that brought together over 30,000 scientists and allies in support of U.S. science funding. I also helped launch SCOPE (Science Careers and Opportunities in Policy and Education), a community hosted by the Banbury Center at CSHL that supports the development of policy-engaged scientists.

Thanks for stopping by! If you’re interested in collaborating, learning more, or supporting the work I’m part of, please feel free to get in touch or follow Science for Good or SCOPE.