He received his MD and PhD in neurobiology at the Yale University School of Medicine. He completed an internship at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and residencies at both CHOP and Boston Children's Hospital. He has received numerous awards, including a Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award, a William Randolph Hearst Fund Award, a Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation Young Investigator Award, the 2005 CNS Young Investigator Award, and a 2009 John Merck Scholar Award.