He specializes in earthquake seismology, active faulting and folding, active tectonics, continental tectonics, historical seismicity, archaeoseismicity, earthquake hazard minimization, geological mapping, and environmental science and engineering.

The family had previously fled Armenia[citation needed] during the Armenian genocide.

He joined the Geological Survey of Tehran in 1971, and established the Tectonics and Seismotectonics Research Department.

2013: The First Iranian and First Armenian Earth Scientist ever honored by the Geological Society of America (GSA) during its 125th Anniversary Annual Conference Special Meeting Dedicated to his over 40-yr of research and contribution to the world Earth Science at Denver, Colorado, United States, in October 2013, Sessions 214 & 291, T188: Tethyan Evolution and Seismotectonics of Southwest Asia (GSA Structural Geology and Tectonics Division; GSA Quaternary Geology & Geomorphology Division; GSA Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology, & Volcanology Division).

[3] 2008: A new fossil species of Chondrichthyes (jawed fish) named in honor of Berberian in recognition of his contribution to the tectonic evolution of the Iranian Plateau.