He received his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Maine. He then completed postdoctoral fellowships in cognitive neuroscience at York University and Defence Research and Development Canada (Toronto Research Centre), where he works in the Human Effectiveness Section.

He is the co-editor of Neuroscience of decision making (Psychology Press), Neuroscience of creativity (The MIT Press), and The Cambridge handbook of the neuroscience of creativity (Cambridge University Press). He is the past Editor of Empirical Studies of the Arts (SAGE), co-Editor of Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts (American Psychological Association).

He studies the psychological and neurological underpinnings of creative cognition and aesthetic appreciation. He is particularly interested in studying how humans respond to architecture, and the role that various intrinsic and extrinsic factors play in shaping our experiences with architecture.