Meet the Team
Learn about the team of academics that lead the Academy.
Academy Management Structure
Prof. John Synnott - Director
Professor John Synnott, Director of the Professional Doctoral Academy, is an Applied Psychologist specialising in offender decision-making, organised crime, cybercrime, and investigative processes. A Full Professor of Psychology, his research combines psychological theory, behavioural analysis, and applied methods to enhance criminal investigations. He has led major research projects, securing over £1 million in funding, and has published widely in top peer-reviewed journals. A Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Scientist, and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, he is also Editor-in-Chief of a forensic psychology research series in the Middle East. His work informs law enforcement, criminal justice policy, and security operations worldwide, supporting evidence-based policing and crime prevention.
Prof. Maria Ioannou
Professor Maria Ioannou is a leading expert in forensic and investigative psychology, specialising in online and offline offender behaviour, risk assessment, and crime prevention. She is a Full Professor of Psychology, a Chartered Forensic Psychologist, HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist (Forensic), Chartered Scientist and the Co-Director of the Cyberpsychology Research Network. Her research explores cybercrime, online human behaviour, intervention programmes, victimisation and offending risk factors, amongst many other fields related to newfound technological advancements. She has provided training and consultation for law enforcement and government agencies, contributing to legal cases and risk assessment tools. She has delivered keynotes worldwide and sits on advisory panels supporting forensic psychology policy and practice.
Dr Dara Mojtahedi
Dr Dara Mojtahedi is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Forensic and Investigative Psychology. Dara’s research output spans the wider field of applied psychology – having been involved in research projects connected to various organisations including FIFA, the NHS, and the National Crime Agency (NCA) – however, his main research interests centre around the study of human behaviour within legal and investigative domains. This includes the evaluation of eyewitness evidence, jury-decision making and investigative interviewing. Dara's research contributions have informed international policies, and he has previously contributed to Parliamentary reports in the UK.
Dr Calli Tzani
Dr Calli Tzani is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Huddersfield and Co-Director of the Cyberpsychology Research Network. She specialises in cybercrime, online human behaviour, forensic psychology, crime prevention, and human development and improvement in general. She teaches across the MSc Investigative Psychology, MSc Emergency Planning, Disaster and Resilience. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has trained law enforcement globally. Her research spans cybercrime, terrorism, sextortion, wellbeing, and bullying, with numerous peer-reviewed publications and media contributions.