Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad is a Reader (Associate Professor) in the Information Security Group at Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL), where she directs the Usable Security and Privacy (USP) Lab.
Her research focuses on cyber safety, security, and privacy, prioritising emerging technologies, IoT risks, and mitigating tech abuse to protect at-risk groups. She has pioneered work in FemTech cybersecurity and privacy;leading the largest international team via projects such as CyFer and AGENCY.
Dr. Mehrnezhad’s work has driven real-world impact by influencing international standards like W3C and fixing software vulnerabilities in products including Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. Her award-winning research is regularly featured in global media such as the BBC, Guardian, and CNN. She has won several awards for her work on gender and cybersecurity including the 2026 UK’s Top 50 Women by Women in Engineering Society (WES).
