James trained in Zoology (BSc), then a PhD in virus epidemiology (Imperial College), followed by post-docs at Imperial College, Oxford and Warwick. Although Warwick remains his home institution where he is a Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, James has been seconded to KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi since 2001. His principal interest over the last two decades has been in the transmission dynamics and control of human viral pathogens, primarily respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). James leads the Virus Epidemiology and Control Research Group, which is inter-disciplinary using molecular, phylogenetic, immunological, mathematical, statistical and field approaches to address key questions relating to respiratory and enteric virus persistence, transmission, and intervention. He has been supported by Wellcome Trust Research Leave, Programme Grant and Senior Investigator Awards.