Dr Usman Afzali is the principal investigator of Muslim Diversity Study and currently works as a postdoctoral research fellow and lecturer in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury.

The Muslim Diversity Study focuses on examining the effects of religion on social attitudes, values, resilience, flourishing, meaning-making, overall wellbeing, and the experiences of Muslims in New Zealand. In this role, Dr Afzali leads a team of 30 research assistants that work closely with the community.

During his PhD, Dr Afzali received training in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, with a primary focus on memory suppression and the use of brainwave (EEG/ERP) data to investigate possession of criminal knowledge. His research also extends to contemplative neuroscience, where he explores the neural correlates of contemplative practices.

Dr Afzali has expertise in experimental (behavioural and neuroscientific) and observational (longitudinal as well as cross-sectional) research methods, conducting both quantitative and qualitative research.

His fields of research include Psychology of Religion, Human Flourishing, Islamophobia, Contemplative Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology: Memory Control and Forensic Neuroscience.

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