Pooyan Tamimi Arab

Dr. Pooyan Tamimi Arab is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University's Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, coordinating the Research Master program in Religious Studies. He is a member of the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on secular studies, material religion, and political philosophy, examining secular-religious dynamics through interdisciplinary approaches. He authored Amplifying Islam in the European Soundscape (2017) and Why Do Religious Forms Matter? (2022), and co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Material Religion (2024). His work with GAMAAN on Iranian religiosity has been widely cited, earning the UK Market Research Society’s President’s Medal in 2022. He leads the Vidi-project Iran's Secular Shift (2025), exploring nonreligion and atheism in Iran.

Research interests include secularism, visual culture, and the sociology of religion, with a focus on Iran and Europe. His studies combine survey methods, historical analysis, and anthropological approaches. He has presented globally on topics like Spinoza’s political thought, Iranian secularization, and contested religious imagery in museums.

Notable awards include the 2022 President’s Medal for GAMAAN’s research contributions. Grants include the NWO Vidi grant for his Iran project. His work bridges academic disciplines, addressing contemporary issues like religious tolerance, public policy, and societal change.