Dr Paul Hutton is Associate Professor of Therapeutic Interventions in Edinburgh Napier's School of Health and Social Care, and Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist at NHS Lothian.

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Paul has been involved in a number of clinical trials of innovative psychological interventions for psychosis, and has published a number of articles on various aspects of this condition. From 2008 to 2014 he was part of the team, led by Professor Tony Morrison, that completed the first trials of cognitive therapy for people with psychosis who are not taking antipsychotic medication. More recently he worked with Dr David Turner and colleagues to complete the first randomised controlled trial of a psychological intervention to improve treatment decision-making capacity in psychosis and, with Dr Philip Murphy and colleagues, the first study of the effects of collaborative psychological assessment and formulation of impaired capacity on people with psychosis.

Paul is an expert member of a committee developing NICE guidelines on supporting decision-making for people who may lack mental capacity and he is also a member of Professor Jill Stavert's Centre for Mental Health and Incapacity Law Rights and Policy at Edinburgh Napier University. He also leads the 'Adults with Incapacity: The Assessment of Capacity for Health Care Professionals' module, which provides training and certification to health care practitioners who need to issue Section 47 certificates under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. He also established, and currently leads, a new Clinical Academic Research Leader (CARL) training programme for PGR students and academic staff in the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University, which is designed to support the development of future leaders in healthcare research in Scotland.

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Paul's research interests are focused on understanding the causes of psychotic symptoms, understanding impaired decision-making capacity in the context of psychosis, and developing effective interventions to reduce psychotic symptoms and improve decision-making capacity in people who have these experiences.

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Paul is Director of ERICCA's Psychosis, Autonomy & Recovery Research Unit