Research

My research centers on questions in the philosophy of mind, with a primary focus on the philosophy of perception, neurophilosophy, and the history and philosophy of neuroscience. I also have broader interests in the philosophy of science, particularly in the roles of values, idealizations, and heuristics in scientific practice and their implications for trust in science.

I am particularly interested in how the history and current state of neuroscience can inform our understanding of the senses, with a focus on auditory and multisensory perception. My work has examined the deeply multisensory nature of audition and auditory processing, the perception of audible qualities and their metaphysical status, and the challenge of disentangling neural processing associated with perceptual experience from that associated with mental states arising through higher-order cognition.

Published 

Fall 2024 — Standardization of Automated Methods in Neuroscience: The DADTA, in Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, 2023.

Abstract: In the second half of the 20th century, neuroscientists across North America were independently making strides towards automation by bringing computers into their research. Decisions to automate were complex and contingent, partly due to global reasons, such as the need to increase efficiency and flexibility, and partly due to local reasons, such as the need to amend certain perceived biases of earlier research methodologies. Newly designed automated methods were advancements but presented several challenges. Neuroscientists aimed to develop a “standardized package” containing a high-level programming language with a minimal set of hardware and software, which would allow different laboratories to easily implement it. But commercial manufacturers were sparse in the early days of computing and did not meet the needs of many neuroscientists. Moreover, building specialized equipment from scratch required a large investment in time and funding. Finally, automation required that neuroscience lab groups hire experts in computing or programming. My brief history focuses largely on Karl Pribram’s decision to standardize automated laboratory equipment, programming, and protocols. Although he was an eminent Stanford neuroscientist with strong institutional support, his decision to automate behavioral testing was riddled with hardship. The process of automation was not so automatic.

Spring 2014 — The Direction of Time: A Focused Critique of an Argument for the Presentist Metaphysic, in Aporia, Volume 24.1 Spring Edition. Accessible here: Aporia - Spring 2014 Archived Issue (byu.edu)

In Progress and Under Review

Work In Progress — Book length treatment on the history of Mathematical Psychology called The Unreasonable Ineffectiveness of Mathematics in Psychology, with Professor Colin Allen, Osman Attah, Brendan Fleig-Goldstein, and Mara McGuire.

Description: I am currently writing a book length treatment with Professor Colin Allen, Osman Attah, Brendan Fleig-Goldstein, and Mara McGuire on the history of the formation of Mathematical Psychology as a distinct field in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This project is funded by Professor Richard Atkinson who was one of the founders of the Society and the Journal of Mathematical Psychology. We have been conducting interviews with prominent figures from the history of mathematical psychology as well as accumulating evidence in the form of historical and archival materials. You can access our keynote address at MathPsych/ICCM 2021: Three Questions about Mathematical Psychology.

Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC)

I earned a CNBC graduate training certificate from their program that spans across both University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. This program consists of taking four core neuroscience courses, presenting and attending the Brain Bag talk series, attending research retreats, and outreach. More information can be found here: Program Description – CNBC (cmu.edu)