Professor Frank Kelly

Professor Frank Kelly is Director of the Environmental Research Group at King’s College London and Deputy Director of the MRC-HPA Centre for Environment & Health. The Environmental Research Group have expertise in air pollution, modelling and analysis and extensive experience of successfully operating air pollution measurement programmes, including the London Air Quality Network. Professor Kelly’s laboratory based research focuses on oxidative lung biology and he has 350 peer reviewed publications on this subject. In recent years his work has focussed on addressing the mechanisms underlying air pollution related lung injury.

Professor Kelly has considerable experience leading research consortia such as the HEI funded London Congestion Charging and London Low Emission Zone Projects. His team are key partners in the NERC funded ClearfLo project.

He has also advised the World Health Organisation Air Pollution Advisory Board on Particles (PM10), Ozone (O3) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and served on EPAQS – the UK Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards.

In December 2011 Professor Kelly was appointed Chair of COMEAP the influential independent Committee advising the UK Government on the Medical Effects of Air pollutants.

COMEAP draws its members 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 responsible for ensuring COMEAP work is accessible and understandable to the general public.

The group is an independent expert advisory committee which provides advice to Government departments and agencies, through the Chief Medical Officer, on all matters concerning the potential toxicity and subsequent health effects of air pollutants.

Professor Kelly is an ongoing scientific advisor to Invisible Dust. Kelly was the main advisor to the Invisible Breath project in particular to artists Dryden Goodwin and Faisal Abdu’Allah. Invisible Dust worked with the EXHALE team led by Kelly in 20 Primary Schools to provide art and science activities to 7/8 year olds on air pollution and also jointly produced workshops for science and arts festivals and events. Professor Kelly was also an advisor on Kasia Molga’s successful Human Sensor Project produced by Invisible Dust.