Official Academic & Professional Profile

Navid Shams

Psychology undergraduate, entrepreneur, founder and chief strategist of The Life Project, researcher, clinical trainee, writer, and interdisciplinary project builder working across clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, consciousness studies, public mental health, and science communication.

Based in Tehran, Iran, with an academic background spanning psychology, mathematics, and physics; experienced in meta-analytic research, crisis intervention, psychological first aid, public science writing, community strategy, gamified systems, and digital project development.

Professional Summary

An interdisciplinary profile built around psychology, research, entrepreneurship, and public intellectual work.

Navid Shams is a psychology undergraduate at Allameh Tabataba'i University with a prior background in Mathematics and Physics. His work connects clinical psychology, cognitive science, consciousness studies, trauma, personality research, science communication, project leadership, and entrepreneurial institution-building.

Research Direction

Clinical Psychology, Consciousness Studies, Sleep & Dream Science, Cognitive Science, Personality Psychology, Trauma, Resilience, and Public Mental Health.

Entrepreneurial Identity

Founder and Chief Strategist of The Life Project, an interdisciplinary initiative designed around science communication, research discussion, community systems, and creative intellectual output.

Applied Experience

Clinical counseling exposure, crisis intervention, psychological first aid, research assistance, meta-analytic work, media writing, technical projects, and community leadership.

Flagship Initiative

The Life Project as a central entrepreneurial and intellectual platform.

The Life Project is presented as a core part of Navid Shams's professional identity: a large-scale, interdisciplinary, public-facing project combining scientific learning, research discussion, content production, community building, and strategic coordination.

Founder & Chief Strategist — The Life Project

Founded and led The Life Project, an interdisciplinary science communication, research discussion, and community-building initiative. Designed, developed, and oversaw more than 35 specialized departments, including Psychology & Behavior, Storytelling, Academic Research, Media & Content Production, Organizations & Networking, Game Design & Gamification, Critiques & Reviews, and other creative and scientific divisions.

Served as the overall head and strategic lead across all divisions. Within Media & Content Production, led podcast development and other publishing initiatives while producing extensive educational, analytical, and community-oriented content. Within Organizations & Networking, founded and led the project's interdisciplinary association, strengthening member engagement, institutional coordination, and cross-disciplinary networking.

Oversaw member selection, onboarding, internal administration, collaborative project execution, knowledge sharing, critical inquiry, and creative interdisciplinary output throughout the community.

Founder Entrepreneur Chief Strategist 35+ Departments Science Communication Research Discussion Community Building
Experience

Professional, leadership, clinical, research, membership, and project experience.

A selected but comprehensive presentation of roles across research, clinical exposure, community administration, association leadership, journalism, technical development, and independent projects.

Community / Gamification

Co-Founder & Community Administrator — LifeCraft

Co-founded and administered a Telegram-based life simulation and gamified community project with approximately 2,000 members. Contributed to management, engagement, content coordination, and strategic moderation for nearly 18 months.

Helped design and manage text-based strategic challenges and interactive game-like activities focused on decision-making, role-playing, and long-term planning.

Co-Founder2,000 MembersGamificationStrategic Moderation
Community

Community Administrator — Stranger Things of Iran

Oversaw content scheduling, audience engagement, moderation, and online community interaction for a large entertainment-focused Telegram channel.

Clinical

Clinical Counselor & Intervener — Iran Crisis Line

Completed an intensive 150-hour clinical training course focused on crisis intervention. Provided active clinical counseling and psychological first aid to individuals experiencing severe psychological distress.

150 HoursCrisis InterventionPsychological First Aid
Clinical

Clinical Practitioner & Supervisee — Private Practice

Conducted clinical counseling sessions under direct clinical supervision and mentorship. Gained hands-on experience in case formulation and applied evidence-based therapeutic interventions in a private practice setting.

Research

Research Assistant — Allameh Tabataba'i University

Collaborated on departmental research projects and data collection initiatives.

Meta-Analysis

Researcher — Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Project on Personality Traits and Ideological Orientation

Conducted a 10+ month comprehensive meta-analysis integrating demographic data, sample sizes, psychometric tools including TIPI and BFAS, and advanced statistical indicators.

Executed multi-database search strategies across PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate; screened records according to PRISMA guidelines; narrowed the pool to 177 full-text studies; extracted effect sizes, beta coefficients, odds ratios, standard errors, and confidence intervals; and conducted Risk of Bias assessment while controlling for p-hacking.

PRISMA177 StudiesEffect SizesRisk of BiasMeta-Analysis
Research

Researcher — Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia

Conducted comprehensive qualitative and historical research as a formal researcher for the encyclopedia.

Writing / Media

Writer, Journalist & Press Reviewer

Contributed to The Life Project, Dialectic Student Weekly, Dideban Magazine, and Sazandegi Newspaper through public science writing, cultural critique, psychological analysis, and editorial work.

Freelance

Academic Service Provider & Freelancer — Fiverr & Divar Platforms

Provided specialized academic services, analytical writing, translation, and data organization. Designed puzzle-based analytical games and board game content.

Markets

Independent Financial Markets Trader

Completed approximately one year of independent trading experience in the Tehran Stock Exchange and Iranian crypto-asset platforms, including Nobitex and Wallex, with exposure to market analysis, risk management, portfolio tracking, and trading psychology.

Association

Committee Lead & Research Group Member — Brain & Cognitive Science Association, ATU

Served as lead of the Cognitive Talks Committee and member of the association's research group. Organized and participated in Cognitive Talks seminars and interdisciplinary discussion sessions, contributing to scientific programming and research coordination.

Membership

Iranian Psychological Association Member

Official Student Member, ID: 46495, valid through September 2027, under Dr. Hamid Poursharifi.

Leadership

Head of Jafekri Association — Allameh Tabataba'i University

Led association-level activities within the university environment.

Technical

Bot Developer — The Life Project

Developed and maintained a Telegram bot for community operations and project support using Python, Aiogram, and SQLite. Implemented stable execution workflows and structured automation features for large-scale interactions.

Web

Website Development Projects — Independent

Designed and built websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for practice and project-based learning, implementing page structure, styling, basic interactivity, and user-facing design features.

Games

Browser-Based Game Projects — Independent

Developed interactive browser-based games using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, including logic-driven gameplay and user input systems, with focus on front-end development, game mechanics, and interactive design.

Publications & Media

Selected press, media, essays, public science writing, and literary-psychological analysis.

This section presents public-facing writing, science communication, review work, and analytical contributions across psychology, media, literature, culture, and interdisciplinary commentary.

The Life Project — Public Science Writing & Educational Content

Produced and published psychology- and science-oriented public content for a general audience, including analytical, educational, and discussion-based materials. Contributed to science communication, interdisciplinary learning, and public engagement with psychological and cognitive topics.

Sazandegi Newspaper — Official Film, Series & Anime Critic

Published structural and psychological critiques of Breakfast with Giraffes, directed by Soroush Sehat, Dinosaur, and Attack on Titan. Published January 18, 2024.

Dideban Magazine — Writer

Writer for the official magazine of the Iranian Psychological Association.

  • The Unpretentious Phoenix: psychological analysis of trauma, crisis intervention, and post-war resilience.
  • Evolutionary Roots of Rumination and Perfectionism: analysis of the Social Ranking Mind, cognitive diminishing returns, and subjective versus objective perfectionism.
  • Literary Critique — Sophie's Choice: analysis of social triangles, trauma bonding, unconscious guilt, and spectrums of evil.
  • Character Analysis — Tyrion Lannister: identity development, secure relationships, dark traits, and defensive mechanisms against rejection.

Dialectic Student Weekly

Editorial board member and writer for the Kharazmi University Sociology Department. Authored the psycho-social novel Dilemma across Dialectic editions 12 through 20.

Education

Academic formation across psychology, quantitative education, and gifted-student institutions.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology — Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran. Transferred from Razi University after first year. Currently enrolled.
Prior Undergraduate Study in Psychology — Razi University, Kermanshah. Completed first-year undergraduate coursework before transfer to Allameh Tabataba'i University.
Prior Undergraduate Study in Physics — Kharazmi University, Karaj. Completed one semester before changing field to psychology.
High School Diploma in Mathematics & Physics — Allameh Helli 7 High School, NODET/SAMPAD, Tehran. Graduated September 2023. GPA: 3.75/4.00.
Middle School Diploma — Allameh Helli 10 High School, NODET/SAMPAD, Tehran. Graduated 2020. Overall GPA: 3.90/4.00.
Training

Licenses, certifications, workshops, seminars, and specialized training.

Licenses, Certifications & Specialized Training

  • Comprehensive Researcher Training in EEG/ERP, 50 Hours — Shahid Beheshti University & Cortex Academy, November 2024.
  • From Download to Discovery: Using Public Datasets in Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience, 4 Hours — ATU, June 2026.
  • Application of Cognitive Neuroscience in Humanities, 60 Hours — Cognitive Science Lab, ATU & Ministry of Science, starting June 2026.
  • Memory: From Neuroscience to Assessment and Enhancement, 18 Hours — National Brain Mapping Lab, June 2026.
  • Alzheimer's Disease from a Neuroscience Perspective — Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, September 2025.
  • Modern Psychoanalysis: Enactment and the Fear of Breakdown — Prof. Robert Grossmark, NYU, Shiraz University & ATU, October 2024.

Conferences, Seminars & Workshops

  • Organizer — The Life Project, Institutional Relations & Networking Department.
  • Organizer — Cognitive Talks Seminar Series, Brain & Cognitive Science Association, ATU.
  • Speaker & Organizer — Psycho-Social Reading of Suicide in High-Risk Groups, ATU, December 2024.
  • Speaker — Cross-Cultural Trauma & Suicide Prevention Summit, ATU, October 2024.
  • Workshop: Evolutionary Psychology by Alireza Nik-Akhtar, ATU, November 2024.
  • Workshop: Pre to Post Trauma Psychopathology , Connectome Academy & ATU, August 2024.
  • Workshop: Research Methodology with Dr. Farrokhi, ATU.
  • Workshop: MBTI Personality Assessment with Dr. Eslami, ATU.
  • Seminar: Mindhunter, Criminal Psychology & Crisis Intervention, Shahid Beheshti University, June 2024.
  • Seminar: Behavioral Psychology based on Sapolsky's Behave, ATU, December 2024.
  • Seminar: Intercultural Intellectual Challenges of Students, ATU, November 2023.
  • Panel: Trans-killing Documentary Analysis, ATU, December 2024.
  • Panel: Cinematic Structural Critique of Absence, ATU, November 2024.
  • Tehran University Padgrad Event, Dayereh Event, and ATU Yalda Night Event 2024.
  • Ghazal & Taraneh Gathering, ATU, October 2025.
  • Saadi Fair, ATU, 2025.
  • Eshghe Abadi Show Psychological Analysis Gathering, ATU.
  • Competitor — SBU World Cup 2026 Challenge, Shahid Beheshti University.
Honors & Skills

A broad profile of recognition, technical capacity, languages, and long-term interests.

Honors & Awards

  • Winner, Effective Speech Competition: Persuasion & Influence — Allameh Tabataba'i University, June 2026.
  • Winner / Participant, Telegram-Based Strategic Text Game Competitions.
  • Participant of International Werewolf Game Competitions on Telegram.
  • SAMPAD Owj 5 Festival Award — National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents.
  • RoboCup Iran — Group Co-Operation Award, Wild Eagles Robotics Team, Light Weight Primary League, April 2019.
  • 3rd Place — International Chess Contest, Resalat Square Chess Academy.
  • Sports Champion — 3rd Grade Hejrat School Soccer League, Team Captain.
  • Top Student & Main Council Member — Hejrat Educational School.

Skills

  • Professional: Clinical Counseling, Psychological First Aid, Psychological Assessment, Research Assistance, Community Management, Strategic Planning, Gamification, Text-Based Game Design, Board Game Design, Scientific Translation, Teaching, Science Communication.
  • Technical & Analytical: IBM SPSS, MATLAB, Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, C Programming, SQLite, Aiogram, EEGLAB, ERPLAB, PSYTASK, Microsoft Office, Meta-Analytic Data Extraction, Risk of Bias Assessment, Market Monitoring, Basic Technical Analysis, Portfolio Tracking, Filmora, Affinity.
  • Languages: Persian Native, English B2, Kurdish B2, Spanish B1.
  • Sports & Interests: Chess Class A, Soccer, Gymnastics, Volleyball, Futsal, Swimming, Badminton.
Core Interests

Research and intellectual interests.

Clinical Psychology

Clinical formulation, intervention, psychopathology, psychological distress, and mental health systems.

Consciousness Studies

Mind, selfhood, subjectivity, altered states, and philosophical questions of experience.

Sleep & Dream Science

Dreaming, sleep processes, memory, emotion, and consciousness during altered states.

Cognitive Science

Intersections of psychology, neuroscience, computation, behavior, and human cognition.

Personality Psychology

Trait structure, individual differences, ideology-related research questions, and psychological measurement.

Trauma & Resilience

Crisis, adaptation, recovery, meaning-making, and psychological survival under pressure.

Entrepreneurship

Institution-building, interdisciplinary initiatives, knowledge communities, and public mental health impact.

Science Communication

Public education, accessible psychology, media-based learning, and intellectual community design.

Gamification

Text-based systems, strategic games, decision-making environments, and interactive learning design.

Contact

Professional communication and academic contact.

For academic collaboration, research communication, science writing, project development, institutional initiatives, or professional opportunities.

Contact Information

Telegram: @navidshams18

Email: contact@navid-shams.com

Tehran, Iran

Academic Network & References

References available upon request.

Current profile: Psychology undergraduate, entrepreneur, founder, researcher, clinical trainee, writer, and interdisciplinary project strategist.

Primary platform: The Life Project.