Shaun joined Leeds Trinity University in 2023 as Senior Lecturer in Criminology. He previously was Senior Lecturer in the Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences at the University of Huddersfield, and was a Research Fellow on the Hillsborough Independent Panel project based at the School of Law, Queen's University Belfast.  

Shaun's primary research interests lie in the fields of political violence and terrorism, radicalisation, extremism, and counter-extremism.

Recently, his work has focused on Covid-sceptic social movements and far-right groups, particularly in Ireland, which builds on an extensive and ongoing portfolio of research on both Ireland and Northern Ireland. 

At Trinity, Shaun teaches topics such as Victimology and Justice, Punishment and Human Rights at undergraduate level, as well as modules on research methods and Justice and Control in the 21st century at postgraduate level. He is particularly interested in the teaching and learning of controversial topics in higher education. 

Shaun completed his PhD at Queen's University Belfast, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS).