Staff Profile

Research Interests

The academic core of my research is applied welfare economics, centering on the use of surveys and experimental situations to understand how individuals make decisions affecting their economic welfare. The work is based in environmental economics, safety economics and health economics.

Key interests: Environmental Economics (non-market valuation), Experimental Economics, Safety Economics, Health Economics

Current Impact-Related Activities:

Policy Panels

DEFRA Economic Advisory Panel (Core Member)

DEFRA Independent Review Panel, Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU)

FSA Register of Specialists 

Policy Research 

PI: HSE/DH. “Monetary Value of a VOLY”. Scoping study (June 2018-December 2018). 

PI: HSE 2016, “The costs to Britain of workplace cancer” (Contract No. ND2484). This will be included in the next HM Treasury “Green  Book” update.

Visiting Research Fellow, The Treasury, New Zealand Dec. 2014-Feb. 2015

Impact Pathway Guidance for Valuing Changes in Air Quality. May 2103. DEFRA. London. pp 16-17 VOLY value for regulatory impact anlysis based on values in Chiton et al. 2004 .   

Current/Recent Events: Invited Speaker 

Invited Participant Pricing Lives Celebration and Journal of Risk and Uncertainty Symposium, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (workshop participants: Kip Viscusi, Cass Sunstein et al. – initial paper presentations and discussions for Special Edition of J. Of Risk and Uncertainty) , September 2018.

Technical Seminar: "The Cost of Pipeline Failure: Risk Assessment, ALARP and Zero failures", Rosen Group, Newcastle upon Tyne, April 2018 

Integrating Economic and Safety Perspectives in Risk Management - a Necessity for Success? University of Stavanger, Norway, November 2016

Expert Workshop on Valuing Health Impacts of Chemicals, European Chemicals Agency, Helsinki, January 2016

Guest Lecture: New Zealand Treasury, Wellington, NZ February 2015

3^rd Workshop of the Paris Risk Group (invitation only), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, June 2015

Undergraduate Teaching

ECO1002 Economic Analysis

ECO206 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics

• Articles

  • Mussio I, Chilton S, Duxbury D, Nielsen JS. A risk-risk trade-off assessment of climate-induced mortality risk changes. Risk Analysis 2024, 44(3), 536-552.
  • Wilson AM, Mussio I, Chilton S, Gerald LB, Jones RM, Drews FA, LaKind JS, Beamer PI. A Novel Application of Risk–Risk Tradeoffs in Occupational Health: Nurses’ Occupational Asthma and Infection Risk Perceptions Related to Cleaning and Disinfection during COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16092.
  • Pramanik M, Pal I, Szabo S, Chilton S, Udmale P. Population health risks in multi-hazard environments: Action needed in the Cyclone Amphan and COVID-19 – hit Sundarbans region, India. . https://doi.org/ 10.1080/17565529.2021.1889948. Climate and Development Journal 2021. In Preparation.
  • Bartczak A, Budzinski W, Chilton S, McDonald R, Nielsen JS. Altruism and Efficient Allocations in Three-Generation Households. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2021, 62, 113–135.
  • Silz Carson K, Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG, Scarpa R. Public resource allocation, strategic behavior, and status quo bias in choice experiments. Public Choice 2020, 185, 1-19.
  • Bougault C, Ayala I, Vollmer W, Simorre JP, Schanda P. Studying intact bacterial peptidoglycan by proton-detected NMR spectroscopy at 100 kHz MAS frequency. Journal of Structural Biology 2019, 206(1), 66-72.
  • McGowan V, Wistow J, Lewis S, Popay J, Bambra C. Pathways to mental health improvement in a community-led area-based empowerment initiative: Evidence from the Big Local ‘Communities in Control’ study, England. Journal of Public Health 2019, 41(4), 850-857.
  • Nielsen JS, Chilton S, Metcalf H. Improving the Risk-Risk Trade-Off Method for Use in Safety Project Appraisal Responses. Environmental Economics and Policy Studies 2019, 21(1), 61-86.
  • Beeson M, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H, Nielsen JS. Can a 'veil of ignorance' reduce the impact of distortionary taxation on public good valuations?. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2019, 58(2-3), 245-262.
  • Hunter RF, Tang J, Hutchinson G, Chilton S, Holmes D, Kee F. Association between time preference, present-bias and physical activity: implications for designing behavior change interventions. BMC Public Health 2018, 18(1), 1388.
  • Clough P, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. A new approach to environmental valuation for New Zealand. Policy Quarterly 2018, 14(2), 50-57.
  • Shortall S. . 2018.
  • Jones-Lee M, Chilton S. Valuing Safety: Principal Limitations of the J-Value Model. International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management 2017, 7(3), 222-232.
  • Mancuso E, Alharbi N, Bretcanu OA, Marshall M, Birch MA, McCaskie AM, Dalgarno KW. Three-dimentional printing of porous load bearing bioceramic scaffolds. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine 2017, 231(6), 575-585.
  • Bartczak A, Chilton S, Czajkowski M, Meyerhoff J. Gain and loss of money in a choice experiment. The impact of financial loss aversion and risk preferences on willingness to pay to avoid renewable energy extarnalities. Energy Economics 2017, 65, 326-334.
  • McDonald R, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. Evidence of variable discount rates and non-standard discounting in mortality risk valuation. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 2017, 82, 152-167.
  • Nielsen JS, Chilton S, Gyrd-Hansen D, Jones-Lee M, Liu J, Metcalf H. Eliciting individual preferences for end-of-life treatments. Journal of Benefit Cost Analysis 2017. Submitted.
  • Taylor M, Chilton S, Ronaldson S, Metcalf H, Nielsen JS. Comparing increments in utility of health: An individual-based approach. Value in Health 2017, 20(2), 224-229.
  • Witham CL. . 2017.
  • Bartczak A, Mariel P, Chilton S, Meyerhoff J. The impact of latent risk preferences on valuing the preservation of threatened lynx populations in Poland. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 2016, 60(2), 284-306.
  • Oliver DM, Hanley ND, van Niekerk M, Kay D, Heathwaite AL, Rabinovici SJM, Kinzelman JL, Fleming LE, Porter J, Shaikh S, Fish R, Chilton S, Hewitt J, Connolly E, Cummins A, Glenk K, McPhail C, McRory E, McVittie A, Giles A, Roberts S, Simpson K, Tinch D, Thairs T, Avery LM, Vinten AJA, Watts BD, Quilliam RS. Molecular tools for bathing water assessment in Europe: Balancing social science research with a rapidly developing environmental science evidence-base. Ambio 2016, 45(1), 52-62.
  • McDonald R, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. Dread and latency impacts on a vsl for cancer risk reductions. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2016, 52(2), 137-161.
  • Clare AS. . 2016.
  • Bartczak A, Chilton S, Meyerhoff J. Wildfires in Poland: the Impact of Risk Preferences and Loss Aversion on Environmental Choices. Ecological Economics 2015, 116, 300-309.
  • Jones-Lee M, Chilton S, Metcalf H, Nielsen JS. Valuing gains in life expectancy: clarifying some ambiguities. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2015, 51(1), 1-21.
  • Baker R, Bartczak A, Chilton S, Metcalf H. Did people "buy" what was "sold"? A qualitative evaluation of a contingent valuation survey information set for gains in life expectancy. Journal of Environmental Management 2014, 133, 94-103.
  • Tiniakos D. . 2014, 202.
  • Chilton S. . 2014. Submitted.
  • Carson KS, Chilton S, Hutchinson G. VALUATION UNDER FUZZY PREFERENCES: AN APPLICATION TO MULTIPLE BOUND UNCERTAINTY CHOICE ELICITATION. 2012. In Preparation.
  • Carson K, Chilton S, Hutchinson G, scarpa R. IS STATUS QUO BIAS DESIGN-INDUCED?RETHINKING THE ROLE OF DESIGN SELECTION IN CHOICE EXPERIMENTS. 2012. In Preparation.
  • Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, McDonald R, Metcalf H. Does the WTA/WTP Ratio Diminish as the Severity of a Health Complaint is Reduced? Testing for Smoothness of the Underlying Utility of Wealth Function. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2012, 45(1), 1-24.
  • Baker R, Chilton S, Donaldson C, Jones-Lee M, Lancsar E, Mason H, Metcalf H, Pennington M, Wildman J. Searchers vs surveyors in estimating the monetary value of a QALY: resolving a nasty dilemma for NICE. Health Economics, Policy and Law 2011, 6(4), 435-447.
  • Desaigues B, Ami D, Bartczak A, Braun-Kohlová M, Chilton S, Czajkowski M, Farreras V, Hunt A, Hutchison M, Jeanrenaud C, Kaderjak P, Máca V, Markiewicz O, Markowska A, Metcalf H, Navrud S, Nielsen JS, Ortiz R, Pellegrini S, Rabl A. Economic valuation of air pollution mortality: A 9-country contingent valuation survey of value of a life year (VOLY). Ecological Indicators 2011, 11(3), 902-910.
  • Seested-Nielsen J, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. How would you like your gain in life expectancy to be provided? An experimental approach. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2010, 41(3), 195-218.
  • Burton AC, Carson KS, Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. Why do people non-demand reveal in hypothetical double referenda for public goods?. Applied Economics 2009, 41(27), 3561-3569.
  • Baker R, Chilton SM, Jones-Lee MW, Metcalf HRT. Valuing lives equally in a benefit-cost analysis of safety projects: a method to reconcile theory and practice. Safety Science 2009, 47(6), 813-816.
  • Carson KS, Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. Necessary conditions for demand revelation in double referenda. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 2009, 57(2), 219-225.
  • Baker R, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. Valuing lives equally: Defensible premise or unwarranted compromise?. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2008, 36(2), 125-138.
  • Burton AC, Carson KS, Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. Resolving questions about bias in real and hypothetical referenda. Environmental and Resource Economics 2007, 38(4), 513-525.
  • Chilton S. Contingent valuation and social choices concerning public goods: An overview of theory, methods and issues. Revue d'Economie Politique 2007, 117(5), 655-674.
  • Baker R, Chilton SM, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. A face-validity test of response strategies to 'dread risks'. Revue d'Economie Politique 2007, 117(5), 781-794.
  • Chilton SM, Burgess D, Hutchinson WG. The relative value of farm animal welfare. Ecological Economics 2006, 59(3), 353-363.
  • Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Kiraly F, Metcalf H, Pang W. Dread risks. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2006, 33(3), 165-182.
  • Spencer A, Covey J, Chilton S, Taylor M. Testing the internal consistency of the lottery equivalents method using health outcomes: A comment to Oliver. Health Economics 2005, 14(2), 161-167.
  • Burton AC, Carson KS, Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. An experimental investigation of explanations for inconsistencies in responses to second offers in double referenda. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 2003, 46(3), 472-489.
  • Chilton S, Covey J, Hopkins L, Jones-Lee M, Loomes G, Pidgeon N, Spencer A. Public perceptions of risk and preference-based values of safety. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 2002, 25(3), 211-232.
  • Hutchinson WG, Scarpa R, Chilton SM, McCallion T. Parametric and non-parametric estimates of willingness to pay for forest recreation in Northern Ireland: A discrete choice contingent valuation study with follow-ups. Journal of Agricultural Economics 2001, 52(1), 104-122.
  • Chilton S, Spencer A. Empirical Evidence of Inconsistency in Standard Gamble Choices Under Direct and Indirect Elicitation Methods. Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics 2001, 137(1), 65-86.
  • Scarpa R, Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG, Buongiorno J. Valuing the recreational benefits from the creation of nature reserves in Irish forests. Ecological Economics 2000, 33(2), 237-250.
  • Burton AC, Chilton SM, Jones MK. The WTP/WTA discrepancy: A preliminary qualitative examination. Environmental Values 2000, 9(4), 481-491.
  • Scarpa R, Hutchinson WG, Chilton SM, Buongiorno J. Importance of forest attributes in the willingness to pay for recreation: A contingent valuation study of Irish forests. Forest Policy and Economics 2000, 1(3-4), 315-329.
  • Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. Some further implications of incorporating the warm glow of giving into welfare measures: A comment on the use of donation mechanisms by Champ et al. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 1999, 37(2), 202-209.
  • Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. Focus groups and the contingent valuation process: A reply. Journal of Economic Psychology 1999, 20(4), 495-498.
  • Chilton SM, Hutchinson MG. Exploring divergence between respondent and researcher definitions of the good in contingent valuation studies. Journal of Agricultural Economics 1999, 50(1), 1-16.
  • Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. Do focus groups contribute anything to the contingent valuation process?. Journal of Economic Psychology 1999, 20(4), 465-483.
  • Hutchinson WG, Chilton SM. Combining preference ordering and contingent valuation methods to assess non market benefit of alternative afforestation projects. Journal of Rural Studies 1999, 15(1), 103-109.
  • Carthy T, Chilton S, Covey D, Hopkins L, Jones-Lee MW, Loomes G, Pidgeon N, Spencer A. On the contingent valuation of safety and the safety of contingent valuation: Part 2 - The CV/SG "chained" approach. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty 1998, 17(3), 187-213.

• Authored Book

  • McCorristine S. The Spectral Arctic: A History of Dreams and Ghosts in Polar Exploration. London: UCL Press, 2018.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Nielsen JS, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. How would you like your gain in Life Expectancy to be provided?An experimental approach. In: Foundations and Applications of Utility, Risk and Decision Theory (FUR). 2010, Newcastle upon Tyne.
  • Nielsen JS, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. How would you like your gain in Life Expectancy to be provided? An experimental approach. In: Economic Science Association (ESA) World Meeting. 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark.
  • Nielsen JS, Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H. How do you prefer your gain in life expectancy to be delivered? An experimental approach linking hypothetical and incentivised choices. In: Annual Conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economist. 2009, Amsterdam.

• Editorial

  • Chilton S, Nielsen JS, Wildman J. Beyond COVID‐19: How the ‘dismal science’ can prepare us for the future. Health Economics 2020.

• Letter

  • Chilton S, Covey J, Jones-Lee M, Loomes G, Pidgeon N, Spencer A. Response to 'Testing the validity of the "value of a prevented fatality" (VPF) used to assess UK safety measures'. Process Safety and Environmental Protection 2015, 93, 293-298.

• Reports

  • Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H, Nielsen JS, Baker R, Donaldson C, Mason H, McHugh N, McDonald R, Spackman M. A scoping study on the valuation of risks to life and health: the monetary value of a life year (VOLY). Health and Safety Executive, 2020.
  • Rothwell C. . 2016.
  • Chilton S, Jones-Lee M, Metcalf H, Loomes G, Robinson A, Covey J, Spencer A, Spackman M. Valuation of health and safety benefits: Dread Risks. Norwich: HSE Books, 2007. RR541.
  • Chilton S, Covey J, Jones-Lee M, Loomes G, Metcalf H. Valuation of Health Benefits Associated with Reductions in Air Pollution. London: DEFRA, 2004. Final.

• Review

  • Chilton SM, Hutchinson WG. A qualitative examination of how respondents in a contingent valuation study rationalise their WTP responses to an increase in the quality of the environmental good. Journal of Economic Psychology 2003, 24(1), 65-75.