He received his BSc in Engineering Physics from the University of British Columbia in 1989. He did his PhD (1994) with H.A. Schwettman in Physics at Stanford University, specializing in superconducting particle accelerators and free electron lasers. From 1994 to 1998, he was the lead engineer of Technology Development at the Stanford Sequencing and Technology Centre, working with Ron Davis of the Biochemistry Department. Bob Franza, MD