Dave O’Brien is currently working on two research areas; cultural value and urban cultural policy. His work on cultural value includes a recent secondment and report to the Department for Culture Media and Sport, along with several conference papers and forthcoming research articles. His work on urban cultural policy can be found in his PhD, from the University of Liverpool, which explored the governance of European Capital of Culture and cultural policy in Liverpool and NewcastleGateshead.

He has published several papers on this topic and is currently developing a book on this subject. His undergraduate degree is in history and politics and his MA is in Philosophy. Before joining City University, he taught a range of subjects, including cultural theory, research methods, politics and sociology at University of Liverpool, John Moores University, Bangor University and Leeds Metropolitan University.