Profile
James is a research fellow funded by the Asthma and LungUK Center for Applied Research. He joined Queen Mary University in 2018, working on the Children’s Health in London and Luton (CHILL) study exploring the effectiveness and health impacts of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone. Since then, James has been awarded over £800,000 of grant funding to support air pollution research and public engagement work.
His research interests focus on the relationship between physical activity, air pollution and health effects. In addition to his research, James has a particular interest in public engagement and has championed this through his involvement in over 50 public events, including festivals and workshops. He has lead a citizen science programme, empowering primary schools to measure air quality and health.
Most recently he has received funding to evaluate the health impacts of non-tailpipe air pollution produced from electric and hybrid vehicles. Consumer trends, electrification and hybridisation means vehicles are getting heavier, which increases contribution of non-exhaust air pollution. This is changing the European air pollution composition.
James has published over 20 international academic papers and conference abstracts and has been featured on the BBC, ITV, Sky and Associated Press.
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.
Publications
Scales J, Chavda J, Ikeda E, Tsocheva I, Dove R, Colligan G, Wood H,… Van Sluijs E, Griffiths C, on behalf of the CHILL Study Team (2023). Device-measured change in physical activity in primary aged children as a result of UK national lockdown: a Longitudinal design Journal of Physical Activity and Health (2023).
*Tsocheva, I., *Scales, J., *Dove, R., *Chavda, J., Kalsi, H., Wood, H.E., Colligan, G., Cross, L., Newby, C., Hall, A. and Keating, M., (2023). Investigating the impact of London’s ultra low emission zone on children’s health: children’s health in London and Luton (CHILL) protocol for a prospective parallel cohort study. BMC pediatrics, 23(1), p.556.
Scales J, Coleman D, Brown M. (2022). Consecutive day load carriage decreases ability to mitigate Ground Reaction Force through reduction of ankle torque production. Applied Ergonomics
Lea, J. W., O’Driscoll, J. M., Hulbert, S., Scales, J., & Wiles, J. D. (2022). Convergent validity of ratings of perceived exertion during resistance exercise in healthy participants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine-Open, 8(1), 1-19.
*Colligan, G., *Tsocheva, I., *Scales, J., *Chavda, J., *Dove, R., Kalsi, H... & Griffiths, C. (2021). Investigating the impact of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone on children’s health: Children’s Health in London and Luton (CHILL): Protocol for a prospective parallel cohort study. medRxiv (* contributed equally)
Scales J, Coleman D, and Brown M (2021). Energy cost and knee extensor strength changes following multiple day military load carriage. Applied Ergonomics
Scales J, O’Driscoll J, Coleman D, Giannoglou D, Gkougkoulis I, Ntontis I, Zisopoulou C, Brown M (2020). Center of Pressure, Vertical Ground Reaction Forces, and Neuromuscular Responses of Special-Forces Soldiers to 43-km Load Carriage in the Field. Journal of Applied Biomechanics
Scales J, O’Driscoll J, Coleman D, Brown M (2019). "Characteristics of torque production of the lower limb are significantly altered after 2 hours of treadmill load carriage." Translational Sports Medicine
McManus, A., Bembridge, M., Scales, J, Wiles, J., Coleman, D. and O'Driscoll, J., (2018). A 4-week resistance training intervention improves stability, strength and neuromuscular activity in the lower limb: a case study of a cerebral palsy adult. International Journal of Sports Science & Medicine
View all publications at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/James-Scales-2
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2197-0615
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