A New York City native, he received his B.A. from Hunter College, where he taught as an adjunct for several years, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy (2015) from the City University of New York Graduate Center. His research interests include the nature of personhood, personal identity, moral responsibility, the foundations of psychology and psychotherapy, the influence of emotions on behavior, the relationship between art and pop culture, the relevance of science fiction to philosophy, and the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. His published papers include "Shifting Coalitions: Free Will and the Responsibility of Persons in Buddhist Philosophy" and "Won't the Real Wade Wilson Please Stand Up?: Deadpool and Personal Identity".