The Authors

B. Brett Finlay, PhD

Jessica M. Finlay, PhD

---

B. Brett Finlay, PhD, is the Peter Wall Distinguished Professor of Microbiology at the University of British Columbia and a world leader in how bacterial infections work. He has been studying microbes for over thirty years and published over 500 scientific articles. A cofounder of the biotech companies Commense, Vedanta, and Microbiome Insights, Brett is Officer of the Order of Canada, the highest Canadian civilian recognition. He is co-author of Let Them Eat Dirt: How Microbes Can Make Your Child Healthier. He lives in Vancouver, BC, with his wife, a pediatrician. They have two adult children, one of whom is his co-author, Jessica. 

Jessica M. Finlay, PhD, specializes in environmental gerontology and health geographer as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan. With degrees from Queen's University and the University of Minnesota, she has won awards and fellowships for her work and authored publications in leading health, geography, and gerontology journals. She is a strong advocate for broadening public awareness of, and developing achievable strategies for, healthier and more inclusive lifelong communities.