A Fulbright/CASP scholar, he holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University. Between 2001 and 2002, he worked as an Assistant Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. His research focuses on international economics and the economies of the Gulf. Alexis has been awarded a $1,050,000 research grant by the Qatar National Research Fund to undertake the first micro-study on the economies of the Gulf countries, and an $867,000 research grant to analyze sentiment in the Arab World using social media. One of the world experts on the economies of the Gulf, Alexis has been awarded the 2012 Niehaus Fellowship from Princeton University.