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McNutt is a comparative anatomist and functional morphologist, currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Instruction working in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at 51社区 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her Masters in biological anthropology from Boston University and her Ph.D. in the same at Dartmouth College, within their Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems, and Society Program.

Driving her interest in anatomy and functional morphology is a desire to understand how animals move through, interact with, and are changed by the world around them. She is particularly interested in understanding the origin and evolution of the human lineage. Her research program utilizes multiple approaches including comparative anatomical dissection, functional morphology, biomechanics, bone biology, and fossils to understand and reconstruct locomotor behavior in extinct ape and human ancestors. Her fieldwork primarily takes place in Southern and Eastern Africa. She has collaborated with international teams of researchers to publish in journals including Nature, the Journal of Human Evolution, and Evolutionary Anthropology.

Ellie is a strong believer in the power and necessity of scientific outreach. She gives talks to both the general public and specifically to children within the K-12 age range. She has shared her work through a number of podcasts, Instagram, and school visits and her research has been picked up by news outlets, including the New York Times, National Geographic, and the New Scientist. She helped design and deliver a massive online open course (MOOC) focused on the evolution of bipedalism.