Courtney used a combination of bioinformatics and biochemical studies to demonstrate that the mutations in the ATPasae domain of BAF that underlie human  malignancies and also neurodevelopmental  abnormalities function as dominant negatives.  He worked with Ben Stanton to find that these mutations effect the mobility of BAF or mSWI/SNF complexes over the genome in opposite ways but have common phenotypes.  He joined the faculty at Baylor University.