Our people
SPRITE+ is led by a Management Team who work closely with Project Partners and Expert Fellows. Our Advisory Board reviews and helps to develop SPRITE+ performance. Membership is open to both academic and non-academic individuals and organisations.
SPRITE+ Management Team
The Director of SPRITE+ is Professor Mark Elliot (University of Manchester), with Co-Directors Professor Emma Barrett (University of Manchester), Professor Hamed Haddadi (Imperial College London), Professor Stacey Conchie (Lancaster University), Professor Sakir Sezer (Queen’s University Belfast) and Professor Vladimiro Sassone (University of Southampton).
Together, the Management Team sets the direction of the NetworkPlus, manages relationships with Project Partners and other stakeholders, and oversees SPRITE+ activities, including supporting the work of Working Groups and the administration of the research fund.
Professor Mark Elliot
SPRITE+ Director (University of Manchester)
Mark Elliot has worked at the University of Manchester since 1996, mainly in the field of statistical confidentiality, founding the international renowned Confidentiality and Privacy Research Group (CAPRI) in 2002, and has managed numerous...
Professor Stacey Conchie
SPRITE+ Co-Director (Lancaster University)
Stacey is a Professor in Psychology at Lancaster University and director of the behavioural science group within Security Lancaster. Her main interest is how trust shapes socio-emotional exchanges, especially in high-risk security and safety settings.
Courtney Krahe
SPRITE+ Project Manager (University of Manchester)
Courtney is leading operations and engagement for the SPRITE+ Network. Before joining SPRITE+ Courtney held the position of Project Manager at the School of Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). During her time there, she managed a...
Tatiana Dia
SPRITE+ Business Engagement & Intelligence Officer
Tatiana plays a key role in various initiatives aimed at enhancing the understanding of crucial TIPS (Trust, Identity, Privacy, and Security) themes within the industry and fostering collaboration between academic institutions and non-academic partners.
Syed Mohammad Abbas Akbari
SPRITE+ Graduate Intern
Abbas joined the SPRITE+ Team in October 2025 as a Graduate Intern. He recently completed his MSc in Quantitative Finance at the University of Manchester, following a BEng in Civil Engineering from the same institution. His academic background bridges technical
Professor Emma Barrett
SPRITE+ Co-Director (University of Manchester)
Emma is Professor of Psychology, Security, and Trust and the University of Manchester’s strategic lead for Digital Trust and Security. Her role involves developing a multi-disciplinary community of researchers to apply their expertise to all aspects of digital security.
Professor Sakir Sezer
SPRITE+ Co-Director (Queen's University Belfast)
Professor Sezer is the Director of Research and the Head of the Networked System Security at the Centre for Secure Information Technology (CSIT). He is a world-renowned authority in high-performance network processing and Internet security technologies.
Becky Holderness
SPRITE+ Communications & Admin Assistant
Becky joined the SPRITE+ team in 2025 as a Communications and Admin assistant. With a background in copywriting and a BA in Creative Writing, she brings a wealth of writing experience to the role and a passion for engaging & connecting with different people.
Professor Deeph Chana
SPRITE+ Co-Director (Imperial College London)
Deeph has extensive experience of working on world leading STEM in academia, industry and government. He is Professor of Practice within Imperial's Business School, Co-Director of the Institute for Security Science Technology and is co-founder of the UK...
Professor Vladimiro Sassone
SPRITE+ Co-Director (University of Southampton)
Vladimiro is Professor of Cyber Security, holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair and leads the University’s cyber security activities. He is Director of the NCSC/GCHQ Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Research, and of the Cyber...
Justyna Kanno
SPRITE+ Finance and Projects Administrator (University of Manchester)
Justyna joined the University of Manchester in 2020 and has since worked as an administrator for the Digital Futures’ programme on Digital Trust and Security leading on to the Centre for Digital Trust and Society and SPRITE+.
Nuura Ahmed
SPRITE+ Graduate Intern
Nuura joined SPRITE+ as a Graduate Intern after completing an Integrated Master’s in Environmental Science. She brings a strong interest in sustainability, policy, and public engagement to the role. She worked as a Student Intern on the Towards an Inclusive Environmental Science project
SPRITE+ Advisory Board
The SPRITE+ Advisory Board provides advice to the SPRITE+ Director and Management Team on the NetworkPlus’s strategic direction and activities. Specifically, the Board:
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Review SPRITE+ activities in the context of the policy and practice landscape
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Suggest ways of extending and developing the network
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Promote SPRITE+ within stakeholder communities
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Provide advice on the strategic direction of SPRITE+
SPRITE+ Expert Fellows
Academic Expert Fellows complement the Management Team’s expertise and help SPRITE+ develop a multidisciplinary approach to realising its vision. Fellows provide intellectual leadership, take a leading role in setting and exploring Challenge Themes, and help bridge the gaps between diverse cognate groups and networks.
We also have policy and professional practice Expert Fellows. These individuals are champions for research engagement within their organisations and sector, advise the Management Team on how to enhance industry engagement, act as expert advisors (for instance, in the review of research projects), and support impact generation.
We have more than 200 Expert Fellows so far, and run open calls to fill gaps in expertise, particularly targeting those from outside the traditional ‘cyber security’ community.