Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg, PhD

​​Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg, PhD, is  Assistant Professor of Digitalisation at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), where her research explores the psychology of social influence in the digital age. Building on her expertise in social psychology and cognitive science, Cecilie investigates how social context, group dynamics, and persuasion processes impact perceptions of information, belief systems, and behaviours, with a particular focus on countering digital threats such as misinformation and manipulation.   

 

Prior to joining CBS, Cecilie earned her Psychology Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, specialising in social influence within the Social Decision-Making Lab under the supervision of Professor Sander van der Linden. During her doctoral studies, she held visiting fellowships at Harvard Business School, Princeton University, and the University of Copenhagen, and was an inaugural Storytelling Fellow at the University Arts London.   

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Cecilie holds an M.Phil. Psychology from the University of Cambridge, an M.Sc. Social Cognition (with Distinction) from University College London, and a B.Sc. Marketing with Psychology (First Class Honours) from Lancaster University. Her doctoral work was supported by multiple scholarships, including the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship and the Economic and Social Research Council.   

 

To date, Cecilie has secured significant research funding and has published in leading journals such as Nature Communications, Scientific Reports, and The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. She has also collaborated with global organizations such as the World Health Organization (see her chapter in Managing Infodemics in the 21st Century) and NATO Stratcom on projects related to detecting narratives in influence operations.   

 

Recognised for her research and teaching, Cecilie was a finalist for the Cambridge Society for the Application of Research Award in 2021 and was shortlisted for the Cambridge Student-Led Teaching Award for her teaching at Judge Business School in 2022, where she was the highest-ranked supervisor (teaching assistant) for two consecutive years. ​

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She continues to share her expertise through talks and as a frequent participant in expert panels for academic and lay audiences, with recent invited talks at institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Princeton, NYU and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as speaking at events concerning security, information policy, and related areas, such as Sikkerhetskonferansen hosted by the Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM).

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Find her Google Scholar here or download her CV here.