The goal of his laboratory is to develop novel tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting strategies to regenerate damaged and diseased musculoskeletal tissues. To date he has published over 220 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has successfully supervised over 25 PhD students to completion. He is the recipient of five European Research Council awards (Starter grant 2010; Consolidator grant 2015; Proof of Concept grant 2017, 2023; Advanced grant 2021), which have led to the development of new single stage strategies for bone and cartilage repair and innovations in 3D (bio)printing for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues.
Other notable recognitions of Prof Kelly"s academic work include being awarded the Science Foundation Ireland Industry Partnership Award (2019), the Silver Medal from the Section of Bioengineering of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (2022) and the mid-term career award from the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International (TERMIS) EU society (2023).