He is also the Senior Director of the South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. Irfan works with Lokniti: Programme for Comparative Democracy in New Delhi, India and is an advisor to Samhita Social Ventures in Bombay.
Irfan studies problems of economic development and globalization, democracy and democratization, and civil conflict. He is the author of three books: Coalition Politics and Economic Development (2011) ; Elections in Hard Times (2016, with T.E. Flores); and The Everyday Crusade (2022, with E.L. McDaniel and A.F. Shortle), all published by Cambridge University Press.
Irfan holds a a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. in Economics and International Studies from Ohio Wesleyan University.