Arnau obtained his BSc in Biochemistry and his MSc in Neurosciences, both from the University of Barcelona. In Dr. Malagelada’s lab, where he carried out both BSc and MSc theses, he identified a novel role for RTP801, a protein known to cause neuronal death in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s disease. Arnau joined the Neukomm lab as a PhD student, where he aims to identify novel genes essential for injury-induced axon degeneration (axon death) in Drosophila.