Annette graduated from Michigan State University in 2006 and went on to complete a Large Animal Internship at the University of Minnesota followed by an Equine Surgery and Lameness Residency at Colorado State University. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2011. Following her residency, she completed a PhD in Comparative and Molecular Biosciences at the University of Minnesota. She is currently an Associate Professor of Equine Surgery in the Veterinary Clinical Medicine Department of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Her clinical practice is focused on equine surgery and lameness, while her research focuses on genetic factors underlying musculoskeletal disease and performance traits in horses.