I was born in Melbourne in 1968 and have been playing guitar since the age of 12. I attended University High School, which has a strong pedigree in music teaching. There, I studied music theory, keyboard, and, in particular, percussion. I entered Melbourne University in 1985, where I studied Veterinary Science. In 1988, I completed a Bachelor of Animal Science. In 1989 I began a Doctor of Philosophy at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, completed in 1995. I have also worked and studied at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Dutch Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, and the University of Western Australia, Perth. Since 2021, I have been enrolled in the Bachelor of Music (Composition and Music Technology) course at the Western Australian Academy for Performing Arts in Perth. So these days, you’ll find me either sitting with a piano or a digital audio workstation, rather than a guitar.