James qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1992 and worked in clinical veterinary practice until 2019. In 2022, he completed an MSc in the Neuroscience and Psychology of Mental Health, examining shame and stigma associated with disclosing mental ill-health within the veterinary profession. He is currently a doctoral researcher in the Suicidal Behaviour Research Lab at the University of Glasgow, where his PhD investigates suicide risk among veterinary professionals. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, his research aims to identify risk and protective factors for suicide and inform evidence-based strategies to reduce suicide risk across the veterinary workforce.