Dr. Lauren Palena grew up in New Jersey and completed her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science at Rutgers University New Brunswick. She took a gap year to train as a lab animal veterinary technician prior to applying to vet school. She earned her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, she completed a one-year small animal rotating internship at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital. She has explored all aspects of veterinary medicine with a main focus on conservation medicine but found her passion in small animal emergency medicine and was excited to continue to work in a specialty hospital setting in Colorado. Additional interests include anatomic pathology and oncology research. In her free time, she spends time with friends, enjoys being outdoors, as well as indoors with her cat Baked Ziti.
