Shirvan is a professor of nuclear science and engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is Director of the Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives by the National Academy for Nuclear Training, Director of the Accident Tolerant Fuel Integrated Research Project (IRP), and Fuels Irradiation Lead at MIT reactor. Shirvan is also Principal Investigator of the MIT ARC-20 project as part of the Advanced Demonstration Reactor Program. His research focuses on acceleration of innovations in reactor design and fuel engineering.

Shirvan has a doctorate and master's in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT, and a bachelor's in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Florida.