J.P. obtained his B.A. from Cornell University, where he was introduced to research by working with Bruce Ganem and Geoff Coates. In 2003, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a Ph.D. with Dirk Trauner. As a graduate student, he worked on the biomimetic total synthesis of natural products that capitalized on complex reaction cascades triggered by oxidation. In 2008, he moved to Stanford University to pursue postdoctoral studies with Professor Barry Trost. There he developed methodologies based on palladium and copper catalysis, and also worked on the synthesis of the tricholomenyns and the complex macrolide amphidinolide N.

J.P.’s training encompasses the themes of bio-inspired synthesis and catalysis, which form the cornerstones of his independent research career. In 2011, he moved to the Department of Chemistry at McGill University, where he was awarded tenure in 2017 and a Fessenden Professorship in 2018.