An Alabama native, Dr. Walkup completed his undergraduate degree at Florida State University, where he graduated magna cum laude and received numerous academic honors. He went on to complete medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Before finishing his neurosurgical residency at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Walkup performed an orthopaedic spine surgery rotation at Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center, where he received training in the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques for spine and cranial disorders. Polaris Spine & Neurosurgery welcomed Dr. Walkup to the practice in 2011. He continues to publish and contribute to spine and cranial research in addition to participating in national education conferences.