After graduating from Harvard College, he received a Fulbright Fellowship to Vienna, Austria. He received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of California, San Diego, and completed residency training at the University of Utah (pediatrics), Children’s Hospital of Boston and University of Utah (pediatric neurology). A physician-scientist, he studies genetic mechanisms of nervous system development and disease, including prematurity, leukodystrophies, and epilepsy. His bibliography includes over 75 peer-reviewed articles. His lab has been at the forefront of using CRISPR, zebrafish, and other novel tools. Since 2006, Dr. Bonkowsky has personally mentored 49 trainees, 29 of whom are women or minorities. In his “spare” time he enjoys playing with his kids, coaching his daughter’s soccer team, and trail running.