Profile
Dr Scales is an applied physiologist specialising in the health impacts of air pollution, particularly in the context of exercise for people with asthma and children. He leads the Respiratory and Environmental Health Group at QMUL, co-leads the Risk and Prevention theme within the Center for Applied Respiratory Research, innovation and impact. He has leadership roles on several large-scale interdisciplinary studies. His work combines experimental trials, epidemiological research, and his work brings together experts in toxicology, aerosol science, medicine, physiology, biostatistics and qualitative research to explore how short- and long-term exposures to urban air pollution influence respiratory health, physical activity and well-being.
He currently leads the CHERISH and IONA studies. Multi-environment clinical trials assessing physiological and inflammatory responses to different air pollution sources, including non-exhaust emissions and school play-ground pollution. He is also the lead physiologist on the CHILL study (Children’s Health in London and Luton), a large-scale NIHR-funded investigation into the impacts of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone on children’s lung growth, activity patterns and health.
Dr Scales is an active member of a number of public and patient involvement working groups, has co-designed air pollution and health workshops reaching over 40,000 schoolchildren, and has led citizen science projects. He has engaged audiences through more than 50 public events, as well as national media, and works closely with 45 London primary schools to inspire STEM participation.
Teaching
Dr Scales contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, teaching on:
- Clinical Skills in Sports Medicine (MSc, iBSc) – 2019–2025
- Applied Exercise Physiology (MSc, iBSc) – 2019–2025
- Problem-Based Learning facilitation – 2022–2023
- IBSc, MSc, BSc Project modules.
Research
Research Interests:
James’s research focuses on the health impacts of traffic related air pollution. He is funded by the Asthma and LungUK Center for Applied Research on the IONA study exploring the health impacts of non-exhaust air pollution on people living with asthma. The IONA study is an acute three condition panel study exposing people with asthma to different air pollution environments. IONA is the first study exploring the health effects of non-exhaust pollution.
His research focuses on the relationship between physical activity, air pollution and health effects. Exploring the intersection between the long-term benefits of physical activity against the short-term risks of exercise in high air pollution environments. James’s future research plans aim to target the health effects of the changing air pollution traffic environments following NetZero incentives and traffic hybridisation, indoor air pollution, and paediatric health effects following exposure to air pollution.
James has particular interest in engaging the public in research and has won multiple awards, having engaged the public in over 50 events, including festivals, workshops, and has lead a citizen science programme empowering primary schools to measure air quality and health.
Previously he has led research examining muscle function change as a result of prolonged load carriage by soldiers.
Since 2017, Dr Scales has secured over £3.4 million in research funding. His portfolio spans Barts Charity, NIHR, InnovateUK, The Health Effects Institute (USA), AUKCAR and The Physiological Society, covering topics from citizen science air quality monitoring and its health effects to the mental health benefits of sport. He has received multiple awards for public engagement, including the QMUL Public Engagement Award (2021) and the INSPIRE Garriot Award (2022).
Examples of research funding:
Health Impacts of Non-Exhaust Emissions – MRC Partnership Grant
Greg Evans, Ian Mudway, Chris Griffiths, James Scales (Co-I, WP Lead) et al.
£1,500,000 MRC, 2025
ROK UK Smart Clinical Trials Award
Abigail Whitehouse, Steve Cunningham, Ian Sinha, Bohee Lee, Olivia Swan, James Scales (Co-I)
£100,000 NIHR, 2025
Development and Validation of Smartphone-Based Tools for Characterisation of Gait - QMUL-HUMA KTP
Caroline Roney, Zion Tse, James Scales (Co-I), Gregory Slabaugh, Dylan Morrissey, Stuart Miller and Trevor Prior
£227,485 Innovate UK 2025
CHERISH – Short-term air pollution exposure and risk of airway inflammatory response in children
James Scales (Co-PI), Abigail Whitehouse (Co-PI), Hajar Hajmohammadi, Ian Mudway, Iq Mead.
£400,000 Barts Charity, 2024
CHILLEXT – CHILL study extension in to adolescents.
Hajar Hajmohammadi, Helen Wood, Ros Dove, Chris Griffiths, Beth Stewart, James Scales (Co-I)
£400,000 Barts Charity, 2024
Impact of ULEZ on Green Space Use
James Scales (PI), Esther van Sluijs, Jenner Panter, Chris Griffiths
£70,000 NIHR ARC, 2024
Sport to Improve Youth Mental Health – LISS DTP Studentship
Jennifer Lau, Francois van Loggerenberg, James Scales (Co-I)
£120,000 LISS DTP, 2023
IONA – Impacts of Non-Tailpipe Air Pollution
James Scales, Chris Griffiths, Ian Mudway, Dave Green, Klea Katsouyanni
$800,000 Health Effects Institute, 2022
EVADE – Health Impacts of Pollution from Electric Vehicles
James Scales (PI) Chris Griffiths
£120,000 AUKCAR, 2021
Impact of the ULEZ on Physical Activity
James Scales (PI), Esther van Sluijs, Jenner Panter, Chris Griffiths
£145,000 NIHR ARC, 2021
Supervision
Dr Scales supervises MSc and PhD projects in environmental health, respiratory physiology, and physical activity measurement. He currently supports three PhD students and line manages two postdoctoral researchers. His supervisees have presented at international conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals, and progressed to academic and industry roles. He also runs paid summer internships for undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds and has externally examined PhDs in environmental physiology.
