I received my Ph.D. from The Queen’s University of Belfast (N. Ireland, 1990) for research on the enteric response to the tapeworm parasite, Hymenolepis diminuta. This was followed by post-doctoral training at McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada), under the supervisor of Dr. Mary Perdue, where I subsequently accepted an Assistant Professor Position in the Intestinal Disease Research Program in 1995. In 2006, I moved to the University of Calgary and was appointed Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. I have authored ~150 peer-reviewed publications, given 150 invited presentations, and have been fortunate to receive research awards from the American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Parasitology, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG), Canadian Society for Zoologists, and Crohn’s Colitis Canada (CCC). I have served as President of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (2014-2016) and as a Councilor for the Canadian Society for Zoologists. I have supervised 38 undergraduate students, 12 M.Sc., 11 Ph.D. graduate students and 15 post-doctoral fellows. I aim to create a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment conducting leading edge research on the regulation of intestinal physiology and immunity in health and disease, specifically: (a) the role of the microbiota, immune mediators and mitochondria in the control of epithelial barrier function; and, (b) the use of a helminth-rodent model paradigm to dissect pathways of immunomodulation. This work is supported by CIHR, NSERC, CCC and the Helmsley Charitable Trust.