Sarah Sharples

Professor Sarah Sharples is Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester, a role she took up in September 2025. She is a human-factors expert whose work covers human-computer interaction, cognitive ergonomics, and quantitative and qualitative methods for studying how people interact with new technologies in complex systems, with applications in transport, healthcare and manufacturing. She was Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK Department for Transport from July 2021 to October 2025, and previously held senior roles at the University of Nottingham, including Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People (2018–2021) and Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange (Engineering) (2015–2018). She founded and co-directs the EPSRC Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training, served on EPSRC Council, and was President of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (2015–2016). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2024 and was made a CBE in the 2025 King’s New Year Honours for services to transportation, manufacturing research, and equality, diversity and inclusion. In April 2026, GOV.UK announced her appointment to the Council for Science and Technology.

• September 2025–Present·University of Manchester·Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering
• 2026·Council for Science and Technology (CST)·Appointed member
• July 2021–October 2025·UK Department for Transport·Chief Scientific Adviser
• 2018–2021·University of Nottingham·Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People
• 2016–2021·Transport Systems/Connected Places Catapult·Non-Executive Director
• 2015–2018·University of Nottingham·Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange (Engineering)
• 2015–2016·Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors·President

• 1999·University of Nottingham·PhD (completed)

Key facts are supported by the University of Nottingham staff page, University of Manchester appointment announcement, University of Manchester leadership page, GOV.UK profile, Royal Academy of Engineering profile, and Manchester honours announcement. Verified 2026-09-23.