Irina Zakirova serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Department of Law, Police Science & CJA, specializing in restorative justice. She holds a PhD in Legal Studies, complemented by a Master's degree in Journalism and a First Professional Degree in Law. Her interdisciplinary doctoral thesis delved into the topic of compensating damages arising from media publications, which later evolved into published works exploring compensation for wrongful convictions. Notably, she presented her insights on the significance of apologies as a non-monetary form of redress for the wrongfully convicted during the 2015 Eastern Communication Association conference in Philadelphia, PA. This perspective was articulated in her position paper titled "Being the Criminal Justice System is Never Having to Say You're Sorry: The Importance of the Apology When Deliberations Wrongfully Convict."

Furthermore, Prof. Zakirova challenges the legal framework and discusses the complexities of achieving just compensation in tort cases in her authored books. Her proficiency in multiple languages facilitates the global dissemination and exchange of her ideas, exemplified by her 2017 summer workshop based on her book "The Pain within my Soul: Short Stories about Crime and Life" in Split, Croatia. Notably, this workshop inspired a social art project where professional artists across the world created works inspired by the narratives in her book.

In 2021, Prof. Zakirova collaborated with scholars from the UK and Croatia to publish a scholarly article exploring the legal, ethical, and scientific dimensions of examining human remains for scientific purposes. There, Prof. Zakirova further explores the concept of compensation for descendants of identified human remains utilized for scientific purposes. 

Presently, Prof. Zakirova is immersed in her upcoming book, where she delves deeper into the complexities surrounding compensation.