I am a Lecturer in the Religion Programme at the University of Otago. My research is interdisciplinary, spanning sociopolitical psychology, cognitive psychology and neuroscience, and the scientific study of religion. I examine how identity, ideology, religion, and cognition shape human behaviour, from individual-level cognitive processes to intergroup relations and population-level social dynamics.

I lead Biruni Lab, an emerging interdisciplinary research group bringing together experimental, neuroscientific, and population-level approaches to the study of religion and human behaviour. I am also a member of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS) and Principal Investigator of the Muslim Diversity Study, a longitudinal programme designed to address the underrepresentation of Muslim communities in population-level data. This work enables large-scale modelling of identity, discrimination, wellbeing, and social attitudes, contributing to both theoretical development and policy-relevant analysis in Aotearoa New Zealand.

My earlier research focused on memory suppression, cognitive control, and forensic neuroscience, with subsequent work extending into contemplative neuroscience, sociopolitical psychology, religious diversity, prejudice, wellbeing, and intergroup relations.

Teaching

My teaching brings together psychology, neuroscience, and the scientific study of religion, with an emphasis on connecting theory and empirical evidence with real-world questions.

Current teaching includes Psychology of Religion, Religion and Human Behaviour, Introduction to the Scientific Study of Religion, and Religion, Psychology, and Medicine

I supervise research across psychology, neuroscience, and the scientific study of religion, and welcome enquiries from students whose interests align with my research programme.