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 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.
Terms of reference
At the request of the Department of Health to:
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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
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assess the need for further research
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liaise as necessary with other government bodies to assess the effects of exposure and associated risks to human health
Code of practice
Membership
Current members are:
- Professor Anna Hansell, Chair (Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, University of Leicester)
- Dr Suzanne Bartington (Clinical Associate Professor in Environmental Health, University of Birmingham.)
- Mr David Birchby (Associate Director – Environmental Economics, Logika Group)
- Professor Martin Clift (Biomedical Sciences, Swansea University)
- Professor Francesco Forastiere (Visiting Professor, School of Public Health, Imperial College London)
- Professor Roy Harrison (Queen Elizabeth II Birmingham Centenary Professor of Environmental Health, University of Birmingham)
- Professor Mathew Heal (Honorary Professorial Fellow in Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Edinburgh)
- Dr Mike Holland (Freelance consultant in economic assessment of environmental policies) (co-opted member)
- Professor Klea Katsouyanni (Professor of Public Health, Imperial College London)
- Dr Haneen Khreis (Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University System; Senior Research Associate, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge)
- Professor Duncan Lee (Professor of Statistics, University of Glasgow)
- Professor Matthew Loxham (Professorial Fellow-Research, University of Southampton)
- Dr Mark Miller (Senior Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh)
- Dr Ian Mudway (Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health, Imperial College London)
- Mrs Rosie O’Carroll (Lay member)
- Mr Tom Parkes (Lay member)
- Professor Gavin Shaddick (Pro Vice-Chancellor, and Head of College of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University )
- Mr John Stedman (Air Quality Analysis and Policy Support Knowledge Leader, Ricardo Energy and Environment) (co-opted member)
- Dr Abigail Whitehouse (Senior Clinical Lecturer, Queen Mary University of London)
Current associate members are:
- Dr Dimitris Evangelopoulos (Research Fellow, Imperial College London)
- Dr Rob Ferguson (Senior Lecturer, University of Essex)
- Dr James Milner (Associate Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
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 to the secretariat and follow the .
Forthcoming meetings
- Wednesday 19 November 2025, 10:30am to 4pm
Publications
Previous publications are held on the National Archives website.
Contact
Contact COMEAP through the secretariat at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Email: Comeap@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