I have an interest and research experience in 

• PTSD and psychological trauma;
• the consequences of psychological trauma on health and offending;
• alcohol and drug misuse;
• military and veterans mental health and wellbeing;
• military and veteran offending;
• the mental health, social and criminogenic needs of prisoner and their sub-groups;
• suicide and the management of self-harm in prison.

I also have an interest in and experience of researching the role of men in nursing and issues of gender balance in the healthcare workforce.

In addition to working in academia (University of Stirling and Edinburgh Napier University before joining UWS) I have had many years' experience of working within the health/ social care arena in both public and private sectors, including health and criminal justice, covering both local and national issues. In previous positions I have had lead responsibility for the Scottish Prison Service's (SPS) National Strategies for Suicide Risk Management and for the Management of Mental Health. This included their development, evaluation and revision, and the development of associated national training and education plans. I developed the SPS Clinical Healthcare Standard for Mental Health, chaired a review of the prison service's substance misuse clinical standards, and developed, and led, the SPS' national audit and review process for apparent self-inflicted deaths in custody. I have acted as an expert witness on matters relating to mental health and suicide to court during Fatal Accident Inquiries following apparent self-inflicted death in custody. I was an external specialist adviser for Scottish Government commissioned research examining alcohol use with offenders.

NHS, Criminal Justice Services, Third Sector Organisations

I am interested in continuing to develop my research into the military veterans and offending, particularly the influence of psychological trauma on offending behaviour and pathways to prison. I am also interested in researching the impact of adverse childhood and life experiences on mental health and wellbeing. Additionally, I am interested in looking at decision making processes for in prison systems related to supporting prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide.

Mental health nursing; Forensic mental health; Cognitive behavioural therapy; Other trauma related psychological therapies, eg EMDR; Barriers and challenges to males entering the nursing workforce.