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Expert’s research is mainly concerned with the nature of pain, especially pain that occurs in the absence of identifiable pathology. Consequently, his research abuts psychology, cognitive science, and philosophical ethics; he has authored or co-authored papers in these areas for the British Medical Journal, Bioethics, European Journal of Neuroscience, Pain, Psychosomatic Medicine, Neuroimage, Gastroenterology and psycCRITIQUES amongst others. Current research involves both theoretical and empirical research on the nature of pain and the possible causes of a rising incidence of pain or other somatic illness in the absence of identifiable pathology and in the context of improving health and longevity. He is also involved in work to understand implicit influences on health and consumer behaviour and has extensive experience with priming procedures and implicit measure of preference (such as the IAT). Last year, Expert consulted for Carling and Center Parcs on these issues. He has been a member of research faculty at the Universities of Pittsburgh and California, Los Angeles and is currently a Reader in Psychology at the Employer, UK, and also the director of pain research at the Birmingham University Imaging Centre. His work is funded by a grant from the Medical Research Council.

Expert provided extensive consulting for Beattie McGuinness Bungay 2009-2010. For the first project, he provided guidance as to the use of psychological testing to assess implicit beer preferences. Expert provided the tasks (implicit association task, priming and word stem completion) and the task relevant programming. Expert organised the testing of participants (400 in total), analysed the data and wrote the final report including graphical illustrations. He also consulted on the role of memory in informing positive affect towards vacations.Expert has consulted for the University of Alabama since 2007. This consultancy is for a research program in the U.S. on ethnic differences in endogenous opioid-mediated pain inhibition among African-American and white patients with knee osteoarthritis. Expert provided statistical and practical advice to help implement this important research programme. Expert was an expert consultant for the New York Civil Liberties Association and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia from 2004-2005. He helped the NYCLA prepare testimony for the New York partial birth abortion trial and delivered testimony for Planned Parenthood against House Bill 1315 in the Virginia Senate. Expert has continued to consult for various lobbyists and US organisations including a meeting convened by Conscience last October.