Dr. Donnelly received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Delaware in 2011 under the advisement of Dr. Jeffery Twiss. Dr. Donnelly's graduate work focused on understanding the mechanisms and phenotypic consequence of mRNA localization in adult axons during regeneration. Dr. Donnelly completed his postdoctoral work with Dr. Jeffrey Rothstein at Johns Hopkins University in 2015 where he studied the molecular pathogenesis of C9ORF72 ALS using induced pluripotent stem cell neurons. During his postdoctoral studies he was awarded fellowships from the Maryland Stem Cell Foundation and Target ALS.