Omran K. Safi

About Me

I am a PhD student in Cognitive Psychology at the University of British Columbia. My research interests include time in memory, episodic recall and simulation, and more broadly the (re)constructive processes underlying these phenomena.

I enjoy exploring a number of topics in an interdisciplinary and diverse environment. I believe that diversity of thought and diversity of representation in unison with interdisciplinary work is a formula for success in any field. Some topics that interest me are Time, Memory, Imagination, Consciousness, and Artificial Intelligence. While my main area of research is Cognitive Science, I also love reading and learning about evolution, astrophysics, and ecology.

When I am not pursuing my academic goals, I enjoy spending time outdoors and can often be found cycling, hiking, or jumping into a lake.

My Research

Select Publications

For complete list of publications please see my Google Scholar

Safi, O.K., Shi, Y., Lin, T., Yu, T., Wilson, I.S., Madan, C.R., Palombo, D.J. (2025). Evaluative Conditioning Using Virtual Reality Event. Cognition and Emotion. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2025.2528928

Bontkes, O.R., Safi, O.K., Lacusta, S., Wilson, I., & Palombo, D.J. (under review). Emotion Differentially Modulates Phenomenological Ratings and Narrative Descriptions of Mental Imagery in Episodic Future Thoughts. Emotion.

Safi, O. K., Shi, Y., Madan, C. R., Lin, T., & Palombo, D. J. (2023). The effects of emotion on retrospective duration memory using virtual reality. Psychological Research, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-023-01909-6

Petrucci, A.S, McCall, C, Schofield, G, Wardell, V, Safi O.K., & Palombo, D.J. (2024). The relationship between environmentally induced emotion and memory for a naturalistic virtual experience. Cognition and Emotion. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2024.2333067

Ballance, B. C., Tuen, Y. J., Petrucci, A. S., Orwig, W., Safi, O. K., Palombo, D., & Madan, C. (2022). Imagining Emotional Events Benefits Future-Oriented Decisions. Journal of Experimental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218221086637

Conferences

I have had the pleasure of sharing my research at regional, national, and international conferences. Please see my CV for a complete list of conference work.

Received the Graduate Student Travel Award to attend Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting 2025.
Colorado, USA

Had the pleasure of being invited to the Leading Edge Workshop on Future Thinking at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting 2024.
New York, USA

NOWCAM 2025.
Victoria, Canada

2024 Learning, Memory, and Dementia Mindscape.
Received award for Most Engaging talk.
Vancouver, Canada

Consulting

I offer specialized consulting services in Cognitive Science, with a deep focus on memory, memory for time, and statistical modeling and analysis. With these areas of expertise, I can help you tackle a wide variety of challenges, whether you're working on cognitive research, developing data-driven solutions, or designing systems that rely on understanding human memory and cognition. My approach is grounded in evidence-based techniques, ensuring that your projects are informed by the latest scientific insights.

Additionally, I offer expertise in Virtual Reality (VR), helping you design immersive, engaging experiences grounded in cognitive principles. I also bring expertise in UX design through guidance on creating intuitive, user-centered interfaces that optimize engagement and effectiveness by leveraging insights from cognitive science.

I am eager to leverage my knowledge and expertise to help you gain actionable insights and create solutions that drive success within your projects!

For all consulting inquires please email omranksafi@gmail.com

Elements

i = 0;

while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
    print 'Iteration ' + i;
    deck.shuffle();
    i++;
}

print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';