Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1956. Graduated from McGill University in Montreal, took an MS at Cornell University and took a PhD at University of California, San Francisco.

Majored in Biochemistry (B.Sc.), Biophysical Chemistry (M.S), and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Ph.D.)

His Ph.D. work was in the group of Peter Kollman, a pioneer in computer simulation of biomolecules

Came to Tokyo in 2001 and worked at Japan Biological Information Research Center on disease-related mutations' effects on proteins.

Lifelong enthusiasm for music, especially jazz; plays the piano himself. Once attended Berklee College of Music.