Diego Luengas earned his Animal Science undergraduate degree at the Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales in Bogotá, Colombia. His background includes animal husbandry and nutrition. He made the transition to academic animal research, which led to a 15-year career as an animal technician and research technician in both academia as well as in industry. Diego first joined the Pravetoni Lab in 2020 at the University of Minnesota and again in 2024 at the University of Washington after the Pravetoni Lab moved to Seattle. Diego holds an Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) certification. He enjoys working in the Pravetoni as a Research Scientist and providing support to all members in a variety of animal experiments. In Diego’s free time he enjoys Latin dancing, keeping up with international soccer, hiking, and camping.

Courtney earned her Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry in 2012 and a Master’s degree in Science Education in 2014, both from the University of South Florida. Her research at USF focused on applying mass spectrometry techniques to identify environmental contaminants in underdeveloped countries. She currently works on mass spectrometry methods and analysis for opioid vaccine development. Outside her professional endeavors, Courtney enjoys reading, savoring coffee, and playing video games.