John grew up in Canada but received his PhD in Molecular Biology from Edinburgh University in 1979. Since 1982, he has been on the Stanford faculty, serving as senior associate dean for research and training at the School of Medicine (2002–2005) and also as a member of the (Stanford) President’s Commission on Graduate Education (2004-2005).

In addition to his regular teaching/mentoring and research on human parasites, John works part-time in VPGE with a focus on interdisciplinary training and professional development for grad students and postdocs. To keep balance in his life, he loves wood-working and is a keen follower and player of ice hockey.