Fr. Rob is a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and serves as pastor of St. Mark’s Parish and chaplain to the University of British Columbia. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and obtained a BSc in biology at the University of Ottawa and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Toronto.
After completing graduate studies, Robert worked in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto, studying gene expression in the nervous system. He joined the Jesuits in 1990, completing philosophy studies at Loyola University in Chicago and theology studies at Regis College at the University of Toronto. Robert was ordained a Catholic priest in 2001.
During his years of training with the Jesuits, he continued his research activities at Loyola University, Chicago, at Montreal General Hospital and at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, investigating the genetics of nervous system development. He is a member of the Providence Health Care Board.