Payton received a B.S. in Biomedical and Health Sciences Engineering with a Minor in Chemistry and Neuroscience from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. HeÌýentered IQ Biology through the Biomedical Engineering Program. PaytonÌýcompleted his first lab rotation in Mark Borden's lab in the Materials ScienceÌýand Engineering Program. HeÌýcompleted his second lab rotation inÌýNick Bottenus' lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Payton completed his third lab rotation inÌýAdam Green's lab at Anschutz's Medical Campus. For hisÌýteam rotation, PaytonÌýworked with twoÌýother IQ students inÌýKayla Sprenger's (Chemical and Biological Engineering) and Mark Borden's (Mechanical Engineering) labs. In May 2022, Payton joined the Borden lab.