Originally qualifying in linguistics and then speech and language therapy, James Law is currently Professor of Language and Communication Science and Director of the Centre for Integrated Healthcare Research (CIHR) at Queen Margaret University. The CIHR has a remit for research relevant to all the nursing, midwifery and allied health professions.

The main focus in his research activity relates to children with language learning difficulties but he has run a number of studies funded looking at specific aspects of user involvement. These include a project looking at the health expectations of West African parents in east London .In 1999-2000 he led a team funded by the DES and the DoH in England and Wales looking at services for children with speech and language needs which included a specific component directed towards the needs of parents. More recently he was funded by NHS Lanarkshire in partnership with education and social services to review the literature on parenting intervention and reconcile this with the views of parents. He has also led two projects (funded by London NHS and Forth Valley Reducing Health Inequalities Research Programme) working with people with aphasia following stroke and with people with learning disabilities and their attitudes to their experience of general practice. And finally we completed a Scotland wide review of services for people with aphasia (funded by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland) which included major involvement of the service user community.

Professor Law is chair of Children in Scotland’s ENQUIRE group for the parents of those with additional support needs and for their children.