He is a 1989 graduate of Carroll College (Maxima cum Laude, Helena MT), and a 1996 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (Ph.D., Paleobiology). His research is focused on attacking the problems surrounding early animal evolution using a molecular paleobiological approach. Current work is focused on understanding the timing of the Cambrian explosion using molecular clocks, the phylogeny at the base of the animal tree, specifically the interrelationships of the various sponge groups, and the roles microRNAs might play in the macroevolution of metazoan body plans.