Courtney Karner

Dr. Courtney Karner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, with membership in the Division of Nephrology and affiliation with the Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research. After completing a Ph.D. in genetics and developmental biology at UT Southwestern followed by postdoctoral training in orthopedic research at Washington University, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2020.

His laboratory investigates cellular metabolism during cell fate specification and differentiation processes relevant to bone development and disease. Current research examines metabolic regulation of skeletal stem cells, osteoblast-osteoclast interactions, and signaling pathways including Wnt and glutaminolysis in bone formation.

Recent publications explore metabolic drivers of osteoclast differentiation, redox regulation of RUNX2 in bone formation, and amino acid transport mechanisms during osteoblast differentiation. His work employs advanced techniques including genetic mouse models, metabolomics, and high-resolution imaging.

Dr. Karner serves on the Propel Mentorship Program Committee and maintains collaborations across orthopedics, nephrology, and mineral metabolism research groups.