Adrian attained a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Sheffield, followed by a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the Medical School. After a postdoctoral post in the University Medical Centre Leiden in The Netherlands he re-joined the University of Sheffield Medical School to undertake a joint project with the Amsterdam Medical Centre. Adrian joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2001 to teach molecular biology and genetics.

Adrian has had a number of roles within the Department of Biosciences and Chemistry and is currently the Professional Lead in Molecular and Cell Biology. He teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in the areas of molecular biology and genetics in both theoretical knowledge and practical application.