Professor Sarah Sharples FREng is a member of the Henry Royce Institute’s Governing Board. Sarah also serves as Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at The University of Manchester.
Sarah Sharples joined The University of Manchester in September 2025 from the University of Nottingham, where she held senior leadership roles including Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People, and Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange in the Faculty of Engineering.
A Professor of Human Factors, Sarah has been seconded since 2021 as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Transport. In this role, she advises on science and engineering issues including automated vehicles, future fuels and emerging technologies. Her research focuses on how people and technology work together in complex systems across transport, manufacturing and healthcare.
Elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2024, Sarah has also served on the EPSRC Council and in leadership roles across national equality, diversity and professional bodies.
