JD is from Oklahoma. He earned his PhD in Biology from the Johns Hopkins University, where he sequenced, assembled, and annotated the genome and transcriptome, and identified the sex chromosomes of the orb-weaving spider Uloborus diversus. His scientific interests are broad, encompassing everything from the origin of life from prebiotic chemical systems and its implications in astrobiology to how our conscious experience is constructed from the interplay of relatively few neuromodulatory G protein-coupled receptor pathways. His love for technology draws him to instrumental methods and computational biology and bioinformatics, while his background in chemistry and microbiology beckons him to the bench. His current research interests are in vector biology and vector-pathogen interactions, particularly concerning mosquitoes and ticks. He enjoys spending time in nature with his family, gardening, and drumming.