Tobin is originally from eastern Iowa, having grown up on a farm working with swine, cattle, and sheep. He attended undergraduate and veterinary school at Iowa State University. While at Iowa State he participated in animal research at the Veterinary Medical Research Institute and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Following veterinary school Tobin’s student loan debt dictated he leave research and pursue a path in private practice. After 12 years as an associate veterinarian and 15 years as a practice owner, Tobin sold his veterinary practice, worked for the new owner for 2 years, and then took a position in research with a laboratory at Mayo Clinic studying regenerative cardiac therapies. Two years later Tobin joined Mayo Clinic’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or IACUC, to provide oversight to the care and welfare of the institution’s research animals. In his free time Tobin enjoys long road trips, veterinary service work, and remote backpacking.