Richard is a philosopher who has worked mainly on ethical issues in science, medicine and public health. He has taught in medical schools at Bristol University, Imperial College London and Queen Mary, University of London, before moving recently to the law school at Queen Mary. He is Deputy Editor of the Journal of Medical Ethics, and serves on a number of public committees including the ethics and public involvement committee of the Medical Research Council. He is currently working on the relationship between bioethics and human rights; and on the ethical status of personal financial incentives to encourage changes in health behaviours like smoking and physical exercise.