He is a clinician scientist whose main research focus is the dissection of the aetiology and pathogenic mechanisms of movement disorders. These represent major health problems and the burden of these conditions is high and increasing in our aging populations. His lab have worked across a number of disease areas to find genes causing neurological disease.

His lab has been responsible for identifying several genes that cause familial Parkinson's Disease (PD), PINK1, LRRK2, GCH1 22qDel and PLA2G6. They have also identified gene for ataxia (SCA11 and RFC1) and several dystonia genes.