Dr. Paul James

Biography

Paul James, MD, is a professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. Previously, he served as the professor chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Iowa from 2005 to 2016, also holding a joint appointment in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at the College of Public Health. Raised in rural North Carolina, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned both his baccalaureate and medical degrees. He completed his Family Medicine residency training at the University of Virginia Hospitals in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. James has practiced family medicine in rural eastern North Carolina and played a crucial role in establishing the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute. His extensive experience includes undertaking a mini-fellowship in Rural Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, and recruiting at SUNY Buffalo, NY, where he completed a faculty development fellowship in Rural Health in 1992. He is a recognized expert in rural medicine and ambulatory medical education, pioneering the Upstate NY practice-based research network (UNYNET) that focuses on adherence to guidelines in primary care practices. He has conducted research on medical education quality and has received numerous teaching and international research awards. Dr. James has held significant roles in national committees, including as Co-chair of the Eighth Joint National Committee on Hypertension and President of the Association of Departments of Family Medicine. He is committed to the transformative power of family medicine and remains actively involved in teaching residents and PA students at UW while continuing to care for his own primary care patients.

Research Interests