Gilbert's expertise is called on for young people facing prison

But even though he is only collecting his honour now, he is already in demand internationally for his expertise in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the impact it can have on young people facing the justice system.

FASD is a condition that impacts people who have been exposed to alcohol in the womb, and Gilbert’s research focuses on studying the particular vulnerabilities of people with FASD.  It is estimated they are 19 times more likely to encounter the justice system compared to those without FASD.

He joined the University of Salford’s FASD research team in 2018, which has  an international reputation for its expertise in this area, earned under the leadership of public health expert Professor Penny Cook along with Professor Raja Mukherjee and Professor Clare Allely.

The team’s work has found that a shocking estimated 3% of children in the UK are affected by FASD. Gilbert’s specialism is in assessing to what extent adolescents with FASD are particularly vulnerable when being questioned by law makers or when they are facing criminal proceedings.

He has questioned 52 young people, half of whom had FASD, giving invaluable new data to assess how susceptible these young people are to ‘suggestibility’. In other words, how they may accept suggestions from forensic interviewers and misplace facts. Because of problems with memory, these young people tend to fill in gaps with imaginary stories they believe to be true.

The only other similar study questioned just seven adults with FASD in the United States. The next phase of his research will see Gilbert broadening this out to explore vulnerabilities in young people in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US, UK and Ireland.

Gilbert said he is delighted that his research has already been applied in judicial situations where his evidence and expert witness reporting has led to an acquittal for a young person and a minimal sentence for a second. They both have FASD.

Gilbert’s work has been used to update Manchester Local Care’s guidance for children entering care, impacting an estimated 700 children per year. To put the icing on the cake of Gilbert’s year, he has just been recognised by the School of Health and Society to receive the Best Doctoral Thesis Award 2024, one of the highest honours the School can give.  Gilbert has also received several awards nationally and internationally for his work in this area.

Gilbert said: “I am most deeply grateful to the University of Salford for creating such a rich and robust environment for FASD research. This has provided a much-needed platform for me and members of the Salford FASD research team to undertake crucial research, which we know has the potential to genuinely impact the life chances for people diagnosed with FASD, especially where they face the criminal justice system.”