His main interests are spinal problems, pain conditions of the spine and face, and brain tumours, including tumours of the skull base and pituitary gland. He spends 50% of his time caring for patients with brain & pituitary tumours and the other 50% working on all aspects of spinal problems including infection, tumours, trauma and degenerative / wear and tear conditions of the discs and facet joints. In particular, he is interested in the role of minimally invasive spinal surgery in treating people with spinal problems, having witnessed the advantages of keyhole techniques during fellowship training in Australia. Richard completed a fellowship in Brisbane, where he became skilled in all aspects minimally invasive spinal techniques and has built up a large minimally invasive spinal practice here in Cambridge.