Nathan Hughes

Professor Nathan Hughes holds the position of Professor of Adolescent Health and Justice at the University of Sheffield’s School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations. He joined in 2017 after roles at the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick. He also serves as a visiting senior fellow at the University of Melbourne’s School of Government and an honorary researcher at the Murdoch Children’s Research Centre in Melbourne. His research bridges social policy, criminology, and developmental sciences, focusing on neurodevelopmental factors influencing youth offending and justice system interventions.

His education includes a BA(Hons), MA, and PhD. Key research areas include neurodevelopmental disability’s role in criminalization, biosocial modeling of offending patterns, and policy critiques of criminal justice practices. Notable grants include studies on adverse childhood experiences, neurodevelopmental disorders in custody, and young adult neuromaturation.

Recent publications highlight work on caregiver mental health during the pandemic, neurodevelopmental disorders in criminal justice systems, and traumatic brain injury interventions. His interdisciplinary approach addresses systemic discrimination against neurodivergent youth and advocates for evidence-based policies.

Grants include a Marie Curie Fellowship analyzing traumatic brain injury trajectories and European Commission-funded studies on family support models. He supervises PhDs on youth justice, neurodisability, and crime. His work emphasizes human rights in detained children’s health and challenges stigmatizing criminal justice practices.