Dermott J. Walsh graduated with a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2018.  His dissertation, "Myōan Eisai and Conceptions of Zen Morality: The Role of Eisai's Chinese Sources in the Formation of Japanese Zen Precept Discourse," traces the impact of Chinese Chan, Tiantai and Vinaya school precept discourse on the formation of early Japanese Zen. More broadly, Dermott's research interests focus on philosophical and religious issues surrounding the relationship between moral theory and moral practice. Dermott received a BA in Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin and an MA in Japanese studies from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and has published several articles on the Kyoto school of Japanese Philosophy. In his spare time, Dermott enjoys Judo, motorcycling, and watching 1930s movies.