After graduating with honours from Monash University in 2016, James trained for several years at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. During this time, he garnered an eclectic experience across physician, surgical and critical care specialties, culminating in his role as Trauma Registrar for the state-wide service.

He has worked in several professional sports, including with the Western Bulldogs VFL and VFLW teams. He has a background in badminton, gymnastics and taekwondo. It is a driving passion for improved quality-of-life and functional health outcomes that led James towards specialisation in exercise medicine.