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Biography

I was born in Ontario, Canada, and was awarded BSc (Biology) and MSc (Animal Biosciences) degrees by the University of Guelph. Following on from these studies I obtained a PhD degree in Medical Virology at the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands – this was a fascinating period of my life in which I learned the Dutch language and thoroughly enjoyed Dutch culture. I then returned to Canada – to a Postdoctoral Fellowship position at McMaster University where I began research into HIV/AIDS pathogenesis. I devoted my subsequent scientific career as an independent researcher to these studies, leading my own research group in examining several of the serious issues surrounding HIV infection. My experience in academia and science is the basis for the fictional scientific research groups in my novels. As long as I can remember I have loved reading a wide range of novels, but gradually I realised that I wanted to write stories, too – in particular, mystery stories with plots based on my own experience of scientific laboratories and organisations, and on my long-held fascination with police procedures in solving crimes. During my time in science I have worked as a technician, graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, and career scientist and understand the challenges associated with each position. I feel that I bring a realistic approach to my characters and at the same time make them appealing to a lay audience.