My research expertise and interest are in two different disciplines: cross-cultural differences and comparative democratization. I am interested to examine the relation and interaction between societal culture and models of democracy. 
Democracy is institutionalized and practiced in a variety of models in different countries. Among the countries that pass the threshold of having an electoral democracy, diverse institutional settings or democratic models are recognized. But the question is why does this diversity exist and survive? Is the diversity of democratic models affected by cultural differences? And if so, what are the ways in which the compatibility between societal culture and institutional choices matters?

In recent decades, one of the important issues related to democracy has been democratization of previously undemocratic societies. Many countries have been passing the state of transition from an undemocratic to a democratic system. For those countries, the study of the compatible model of democracy is crucial. In general, the elements of societal culture can play significant roles in explaining the emergence of different models of democracy and the compatibility of each model to a specific context. 

The Cultural Compatibility Thesis developed in my PhD dissertation posits that societal culture matters in the process of opting, adopting and adapting political institutions of democracy. The thesis suggests that the mentality of adopting a best model of democracy should be replaced with the attitude of finding the most compatible model. 

My other interest research and focus is on measuring Public Opinions in authoritarian contexts, with a focus on Iran. I am the founder and director of GAMMAN (The Groups for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran) research institute. Using innovative approaches and utilizing digital tools, GAMAAN aims to extract (real) opinions of Iranians about sensitive issues and questions that cannot be measured by using the conventional survey methods under the existing situation in Iran. I have been selected as the national representative for Iran in the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) for the 2025–2027 term.

Moreover, I am a pro-democracy activist and political analyst of Iranian politics (see my interview with the Tilburg University Magazine, UNIVERS)

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