He holds a PhD from the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University and his research interests focus on the early modern developments of Sufism in Persia, as well as theories and methods in the study of religion, the comparative study of mysticism and religion, the early history of Islam and the Qurʾān, Persian culture and civilisation, and modern religious reform movements in the Middle East. He has co-authored the textbook, Comparing Religions: Coming to Terms (Malden, MA, 2014), and has contributed articles to journals including the Journal of Sufi Studies and the Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn ʿArabi Society. Professor Ata Anzali has been a Fellow of the Shīʿah Institute since February 2016.