Dean is a chartered psychologist and chartered coaching psychologist. He joined Edge Hill University at the start of 2024, with more than 15 years of experience of evaluation and research work exploring issues, interventions and preventative approaches across the Criminal Justice System.   Specifically, Dean has expertise in evaluating alternative programs in prisons and community, including work with the Youth Justice Service.  He has published on the usefulness of arts-based prison activities with specific groups of individuals in prison, including a focus on the criminogenic needs of the older prison population (aged 50+ in prison). During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dean brought together a team to explore the responses and experiences of staff and young people in the Youth Justice Service. 

Dean's doctoral work explored how psychological characteristics relate to crime-based moral reasoning, specifically, the complex link between clinical and subclinical characteristics, such as Schizotypy and delusional ideation, and the cognitive processes when reasoning about moral and criminal scenarios or situations.

Dean has explored sexual minority’s experiences of victmisation and more importantly the impact that this has on their fear of crime and overall quality of life.  

Currently, Dean leads a research team evaluating the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership - including evaluation of System change, place-based activities and specific intervention evaluations.