His main areas of research are on adolescent health, sexual health, substance use and social exclusion and health, as well as in research methodology.
His research on adolescent health focuses on how schools and school-based interventions as well as youth services can benefit or harm young people’s health. His research on sexual health examines the broader social determinants of adolescent sexual health behaviours and outcomes, and interventions to address these. He is also interested in the normal distribution of sexual risks and consequent need for universal interventions. He has also developed a programme of research in collaboration with Sigma Research on the sexual health of gay and other men who have sex with men. This has in particular focused on the interactions between substance use and sexual behaviour. In terms of substance use, his main interest is in the initiation of this in adolescence and interventions to minimise risks.