▁at ▁the ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁School ▁of ▁Public ▁Health ▁and ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁ ▁Tir man ▁has ▁written ▁frequently ▁on ▁the ▁topic , ▁including ▁articles ▁for ▁The ▁Boston ▁Glo be , ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁Alter Net , ▁and ▁others . ▁ ▁The ▁one ▁independent ▁and ▁peer - review ed ▁assess ment ▁of ▁Ira q ▁mort ality ▁estimates , ▁in ▁Conf lict ▁and ▁Health ▁( 2 0 0 8 ), ▁found ▁the ▁Lanc et - pub lished ▁survey ▁to ▁be ▁superior ▁to ▁all ▁other ▁methods . ▁At ▁M IT , ▁Tir man ▁has ▁also ▁undert aken ▁several ▁projects ▁on ▁U . S .- I ran ▁relations , ▁publishing ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁a ▁white ▁paper ▁on ▁a ▁“ New ▁Appro ach ▁to ▁Iran ” ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁Ide as ▁Fund , ▁ex cor i ating ▁America ' s ▁milit ant ▁att itudes ▁toward ▁Iran ▁and ▁ur ging ▁greater ▁accommod ation . ▁▁ ▁He ▁conven ed ▁con ferences ▁and ▁published ▁on ▁the ▁regional ▁dimension ▁of ▁the ▁Ira q ▁War , ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁terror ism ▁in ▁ups et ting ▁diplom atic ▁relations , ▁and ▁the ▁challeng es ▁of ▁political ▁inst ability ▁in ▁the ▁G ulf . ▁ ▁He ▁brought ▁to ▁M IT ▁such ▁Iran ian ▁l umin aries ▁as ▁President ▁Moh amm ad ▁K hat ami , ▁former ▁deput y ▁foreign ▁minister ▁Abb as ▁Male ki , ▁former ▁reform ▁parliament arian ▁F at eme h ▁H ag high at jo o , ▁and ▁diss ident