ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə lˈæbɹətˌɔːɹi fɔːɹ faʊndˈeɪʃənz ʌv kəmpjˈuːɾɚ sˈaɪəns æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ˈɛdɪnbʌɹə, ænd wʌz ɐpˈɔɪntᵻd tə ðə tʃˈɛɹ ʌv kəmpjˈuːɾɚ sˈɪstəmz ɪnðə dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ʌv kəmpjˈuːɾɚ sˈaɪəns.
In 1988 he joined the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh, and was appointed to the Chair of Computer Systems in the Department of Computer Science.