Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants

Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) advises the government on all matters concerning the health effects of air pollutants.

Role of the group

COMEAP Associate Members Opportunities

Closing date: Tuesday 2 April 2024

There are currently opportunities for early- or mid-career researchers to become associate members of COMEAP. Associate members will contribute to COMEAP’s work, while also gaining experience of developing committee advice and an understanding of the interface between science and policy.

Anyone interested in this role can request an application form from the COMEAP Secretariat. To do this: email air.pollution@ukhsa.gov.uk, and indicate in the email subject box: “COMEAP Associate Member application form request”.

COMEAP provides independent advice to government departments and agencies on how air pollution impacts on health. Its members come from a range of specialist fields such as air quality science, atmospheric chemistry, toxicology, physiology, epidemiology, statistics, paediatrics and cardiology. There is also a lay member, who helps ensure that the general public can access and understand the committee’s work.

COMEAP current work programme (PDF, 141 KB, 5 pages)

COMEAP protocol for reviews (PDF, 148 KB, 2 pages)

Terms of reference

At the request of the Department of Health to:

  • advise the UK health departments on the effects on the health of both outdoor and indoor air pollutants on the basis of data currently available

  • assess the need for further research

  • liaise as necessary with other government bodies to assess the effects of exposure and associated risks to human health

Code of practice

COMEAP code of practice (PDF, 71.9 KB, 9 pages)

Membership

Current members are:

  • Professor Anna Hansell, Chair (Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, University of Leicester)
  • Professor Alan R Boobis (Emeritus Professor of Toxicology, Imperial College London)
  • Professor Nicola Carslaw (Professor in Indoor Air Chemistry, University of York)
  • Ms Ruth Chambers (Lay member)
  • Professor Martin Clift (Biomedical Sciences, Swansea University)
  • Professor Roy Harrison (Queen Elizabeth II Birmingham Centenary Professor of Environmental Health, University of Birmingham)
  • Professor Mathew Heal (Chair of Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Edinburgh)
  • Dr Mike Holland (Freelance consultant in economic assessment of environmental policies)
  • Professor Klea Katsouyanni (Professor of Public Health, Imperial College London)
  • Professor Duncan Lee (Professor of Statistics, University of Glasgow)
  • Dr Mark Miller (Senior Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh)
  • Dr Ian Mudway (Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health, Imperial College London)
  • Professor Gavin Shaddick (Executive Dean, School of Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Science, Royal Holloway University of London)
  • Mr John Stedman (Air Quality Analysis and Policy Support Knowledge Leader, Ricardo Energy and Environment)

Register of members' interests 2021 (PDF, 144 KB, 6 pages)

Minutes

Read minutes for COMEAP meetings

Read agendas for COMEAP meetings

Minutes from previous meetings are held on the National Archives website.

Open meetings

COMEAP holds open meetings to increase the visibility and transparency of its work. To attend a meeting as an observer, you will need to send a COMEAP open meeting application form (MS Word Document, 57.4 KB) to the secretariat and follow the COMEAP code of conduct for observers (PDF, 20.7 KB, 2 pages).

Forthcoming meetings

  • Thursday 25 April 2024, 10am to 1pm
  • Thursday 20 June 2024, 9:30am to 1pm

Read COMEAP discussion papers

Publications

COMEAP reports.

Previous publications are held on the National Archives website.

Contact

Contact COMEAP through the secretariat at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Email: air.pollution@ukhsa.gov.uk

In any correspondence, please reference the COMEAP website.

COMEAP Secretariat
UKHSA
Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards
Chilton
Oxon
OX11 0RQ