John-Mark joined the institute of Photonics in April 2001. He received an M.Sci. degree in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics in 1995 from The University of St Andrews, Scotland. He stayed on at St Andrews and was awarded a Ph.D. degree in 1999 for work on compact, low-threshold femtosecond laser sources.

Before joining the Institute of Photonics, John-Mark was employed as a postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of St. Andrews, working in the Semiconductor Physics Group on Pump-probe investigations of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) at near and mid-infrared wavelengths. He is currently employed as a research assistant at the IOP with primary interest in developing high-power semiconductor laser sources in the near infrared.

Other research interests include the development of novel and compact all-solid-state femtosecond laser sources.