Professor Nathan Hughes (he/him)
BA(Hons), MA, PhD
Department of Sociological Studies
Professor of Adolescent Health and Justice


+44 114 222 6439
Full contact details
Department of Sociological Studies
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
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S10 2AH
- Profile
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Nathan joined the Department of Sociological Studies in 2017. He was previously senior lecturer in social policy and social work at the University of Birmingham, having completed his PhD at the University of Warwick.
Nathan is also visiting senior fellow at the School of Government of the University of Melbourne, and honorary researcher at the Murdoch Children’s Research Centre, Melbourne.
- Research interests
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Nathan’s research is at the interface between social policy, criminology and developmental sciences. It considers the explanations for patterns of offending apparent in emerging understandings of typical and atypical adolescent neuromaturation, and their implications for policy and practice.
His work is uniquely interdisciplinary within his field, drawing on developmental psychopathology and adolescent developmental science to support biosocial modelling of patterns of offending and desistance, and applying this to a critical analysis of criminal justice practices and interventions.
In particular, he focuses on practices and interventions that discriminate against and criminalise young people as a result of neurodevelopmental disability, and those that engage young adult offenders.
- Publications
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Journal articles
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
Preprints
- Research group
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Nathan supervises PhDs in issues related to youth and young adults, crime and criminalisation, and childhood neurodevelopmental disability.
- Grants
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2015-17, Funded by: College of Policing, Police Knowledge Fund
Examining the use of indicators of adverse childhood experiences to support police engagement.
2013-16, Funded by: Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship, European Commission FP7 Framework
This fellowship supported two years based at the Centre for Adolescent Health and the Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychology Studies at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and the School of Government at the University of Melbourne. Specific projects included:
- Analysis of a 21-year longitudinal study of children admitted to hospital as a result of traumatic brain injury, examining behavioural trajectories into young adulthood.
- Analysis of an annual census of health, well-being and behaviour of over 50,000 students starting school in Victoria, examining risk factors for comorbid communication and emotional or behavioural problems in the early years, and utilizing data linkage to understand impact on educational attainment.
- Qualitative research with community criminal justice service providers regarding understandings of and responses to traumatic brain injury.
- Systematic reviews regarding the prevalence of traumatic brain injury among young people in custody, and the effectiveness of school-based and community-based interventions following pediatric traumatic brain injury.
2010-14, Funded by: International Research Staff Exchange Scheme, European Commission FP7 Framework
Understanding and Supporting Families with Complex Needs: a comparative study of family-minded policy and practice in social work, health and education in Europe and Latin America .
2012, Funded by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England
Prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders amongst young people in custody.
2011, Funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust
Maturity and offending amongst young adults.
2009, Funded by Leverhulme Study Abroad Fellowship
Comparing anti-social behaviour policy in the UK, Western Australia and Victoria.
2007-8, Funded by the Ministry of Justice
Access to justice for vulnerable groups.