Ganna Pogrebna

Last updated
Ganna Pogrebna
Born (1980-07-04) 4 July 1980 (age 45)
NationalityBritish
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Behavioral scientist
  • Author
  • Educator
Website gannapogrebna.com

Ganna Pogrebna (born 4 July 1980) is a British-Australian economist, behavioural data scientist, decision theorist, educator, author, and academic writer. [1] She currently serves as David Trimble Chair in Leadership and Organisational Transformation at Queen's University Belfast, the Lead for Behavioral Data Science at the Alan Turing Institute, Non-Residential Fellow at Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), and an Honorary Professor of Behavioral Business Analytics and Data Science at the University of Sydney. [2] [3]

Contents

She is known for her work in combining data science methods with those from economics and psychology to model human behavior under risk and uncertainty. [4] [5] She is a co-editor of the Cambridge Handbook of Behavioural Data Science. [6]

Education

Pogrebna holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and has obtained her Ph.D. in economics and social sciences from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. [7]

Career

Pogrebna is a researcher and academic in behavioral data science, decision theory, risk modelling, and human-machine teaming. She is currently a Professor at Queen's University Belfast. Additionally, she is a Lead of Behavioral Data Science [8] at the Alan Turing Institute in London, [9] [10] [11] holds a research professorship position at the University of Sydney Business School. [12] She is also a fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) . Until August 2025, she served as Executive Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Futures Institute. [13]

Pogrebna has taught and supervised students in data science, cyber security, [14] behavioral data science, business analytics and artificial intelligence. [15] She has also worked as a consultant for private and public sector companies in various industries. [16] [17] Pogrebna communicates her research through her Behavioural Data Science Week newsletter on LinkedIn, YouTube blog "Data Driven" and "Inclusion AI. Blog", and is a regular contributor to various blogs and media outlets. [18] She is methods editor at Leadership Quarterly, editor at Scientific Reports and associate editor of Judgement and Decision Making. [19] [20] [21]

Notable research works

In 2021, her team's box office predicting technology was discussed at the Stockholm Film Festival. [22] [23] [24] In 2018, she co-developed a model predicting parental risk attitudes based on the characteristics of children, revealing gender inequalities in parenting. [25] [26] [27] In 2019, she contributed to a Council of Europe study on the implications of advanced digital technologies for human rights. [28] In 2020-2021, she researched handwashing patterns and protected vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. [29] [30] In 2022, Pogrebna's work highlighted the threats and benefits of software products used in schools and at home. [31] [32] Her work also emphasised the critical role of AI in discovering new cancer biomarkers by integrating complex biological data, while also cautioning against the risks of embedded algorithmic bias in medical diagnostics. [33]

In 2023-2024, Pogrebna has advanced the strategic use of digital twins by demonstrating their value in simulating complex change scenarios for business and policy. [34] In 2024, in analysing behavioural barriers to electric vehicle uptake, Pogrebna identified “charger anxiety” as a dominant psychological factor driving Australians toward hybrid cars, highlighting infrastructure and trust gaps in sustainable mobility transitions. [35] She also contributed to environmental AI applications by demonstrating how machine learning can be used to trace sources of waterborne pollution and support regulatory enforcement, including dynamic tracking of plastic “islands” in river deltas. [36]

In 2024, she led a landmark multi-institutional study examining the career trajectories of 757 women leaders across race, time, and sector, showing that Black women are more likely to take career risks early in their professional lives—a finding with significant implications for diversity and leadership development strategies. [37] Pogrebna’s research explored how algorithmic misogyny and early negative experiences with AI systems shape long-term disengagement and digital distrust among women, contributing to a widening gender gap in technology adoption. [38]

In 2025, Pogrebna’s work on nuclear decision-making leverages human-machine teaming modelling and digital twin technologies to reduce the risk of escalation and miscalculation in high-stakes geopolitical environments. As part of the European Leadership Network’s Nuclear and New Technologies (NNT) Project, Pogrebna co-led the development of a prototype digital twin designed to simulate crisis scenarios across nuclear command, control, and communication (NC3) systems. [39]

Bibliography

Awards and honours

References

  1. ↑ "Ganna Pogrebna". scholar.google.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Plackett, Benjamin (12 October 2022). "The rural areas missing out on AI opportunities". Nature. 610 (7931): S17. Bibcode:2022Natur.610S..17P. doi: 10.1038/d41586-022-03212-7 . S2CID   252820692.
  3. ↑ Blavatskyy, Pavlo; Pogrebna, Ganna (1 February 2010). "Endowment effects? "Even" with half a million on the table!" . Theory and Decision. 68 (1–2): 173–192. doi:10.1007/s11238-009-9152-4. S2CID   53552310 . Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "Behavioural data science". The Alan Turing Institute. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  5. ↑ Blavatskyy, Pavlo; Pogrebna, Ganna (1 March 2008). "Risk Aversion when Gains are Likely and Unlikely: Evidence from a Natural Experiment with Large Stakes". Theory and Decision. 64 (2–3): 395–420. doi:10.1007/s11238-007-9056-0. S2CID   10227276 . Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Cambridge Handbook of Behavioural Data Science". Cambridge University Press. 2026.
  7. ↑ "Ganna Pogrebna - Agenda Contributor". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Exploring Behavioral Data Science with Ganna Pogrebna". www.habitweekly.com. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "Cultural differences account for global gap in online regulation -- study". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "The emotions that make a film a hit... or a miss". BBC News. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  11. ↑ Kharlamov, Alexander; Pogrebna, Ganna (July 2021). "Using human values-based approach to understand cross-cultural commitment toward regulation and governance of cybersecurity †". Regulation & Governance. 15 (3): 709–724. doi: 10.1111/rego.12281 . S2CID   211443730.
  12. ↑ "Staff Profile". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "The rural areas missing out on AI opportunities". Nature. 12 October 2022. pp. S17 –S17. doi:10.1038/d41586-022-03212-7.
  14. ↑ "Cyber attacks, Psychology and Curiosity with Gana Pogrebna - The Curious Advantage Podcast". Audioboom. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Tulloh, Bobbie. "Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Futures Institute". research.csu.edu.au. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Blavatskyy, Pavlo; Pogrebna, Ganna (1 July 2009). "Myopic loss aversion revisited" . Economics Letters. 104: 43–45. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2009.03.023 . Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Towers-Clark, Charles. "Relaxed, Anxious, Ignorant: Our Attitudes Towards CyberSecurity Are Making The Problem Worse". Forbes. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  18. ↑ Pogrebna, Ganna; Krantz, David H.; Schade, Christian; Keser, Claudia (1 October 2011). "Words versus actions as a means to influence cooperation in social dilemma situations" . Theory and Decision. 71 (4): 473–502. doi:10.1007/s11238-011-9248-5. hdl: 10.1007/s11238-011-9248-5 . S2CID   120589384.
  19. ↑ "FICO on LinkedIn: LIVE NOW: AI and Regulation: Is Your AI Ethical? The Answer May Surprise… | 33 comments". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  20. ↑ "Report finds startling disinterest in ethical, responsible use of AI among business leaders". ZDNET. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  21. ↑ Blavatskyy, Pavlo R.; Pogrebna, Ganna (September 2010). "Models of stochastic choice and decision theories: why both are important for analyzing decisions". Journal of Applied Econometrics. 25 (6): 963–986. doi:10.1002/jae.1116. S2CID   30994349 . Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  22. ↑ "'Man in a hole' films are most likely to be blockbusters, according to AI". CTVNews. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  23. ↑ "Scientists uncover formula for box office movie success". the Guardian. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  24. ↑ "Seminars and special presentations". Stockholms filmfestival (in Swedish). 1 November 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  25. ↑ Chizema, Amon; Pogrebna, Ganna (1 October 2019). "The impact of government integrity and culture on corporate leadership practices: Evidence from the field and the laboratory". The Leadership Quarterly. 30 (5): 101303. doi: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.07.001 . S2CID   199144909.
  26. ↑ Pogrebna, Ganna (1 February 2008). "Naïve advice when half a million is at stake" . Economics Letters. 98 (2): 148–154. doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2007.04.024. S2CID   67822412 . Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  27. ↑ "CSDL | IEEE Computer Society". www.computer.org. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  28. ↑ Chizema, Amon; Pogrebna, Ganna (1 October 2019). "The impact of government integrity and culture on corporate leadership practices: Evidence from the field and the laboratory". The Leadership Quarterly. 30 (5): 101303. doi: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.07.001 . S2CID   199144909.
  29. ↑ "India confronts COVID-19 with scarce running water". Science. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  30. ↑ Pogrebna, Ganna; Oswald, Andrew J.; Haig, David (1 March 2018). "Female babies and risk-aversion: Causal evidence from hospital wards". Journal of Health Economics. 58: 10–17. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.12.006 . PMID   29408151. S2CID   46800767.
  31. ↑ "Ganna Pogrebna - Editorial Board - The Leadership Quarterly - Journal - Elsevier". www.journals.elsevier.com. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  32. ↑ "How schools can make technology safer for kids to use". www.theeducatoronline.com. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  33. ↑ "Can AI solve cancer's diagnostic woes?". Chemical & Engineering News. 21 January 2025.
  34. ↑ "Digital Twins Can Help You Make Better Strategic Decisions". Harvard Business Review. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  35. ↑ Andrews, Bruce. "Range anxiety – or charger drama?". news.csu.edu.au.
  36. ↑ "Accelerate EHS with AI: Tracking, Monitoring, and Managing Chemical Contamination in Water". 3E.
  37. ↑ "Black women take more career risks to reach top leadership positions". Fortune.
  38. ↑ "AI is creating a new gender divide". Newsweek. 10 July 2025.
  39. ↑ "Technological complexity and risk reduction". europeanleadershipnetwork.org.
  40. ↑ "Birmingham researcher receives British Academy of Management Award". University of Birmingham. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  41. ↑ "The Leverhulme Trust". www.leverhulme.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  42. ↑ "TechWomen100 Individual Winner 2019".
  43. ↑ "20+ Inspiring Data Scientists to Follow". AI Time Journal. 19 March 2020.
  44. ↑ Andrews, Bruce. "International AI award for risk and cybersecurity". news.csu.edu.au.
  45. ↑ "2024 Winners and finalists". australianaiawards.com.au.
  46. ↑ "2025 Winners". Women in Security Awards.
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