Professor James currently holds the Leonard P Ullmann Chair in Molecular Systems Biology and he is the Domain Leader for Biology at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney. Professor James has made major contributions to our understanding of insulin action including the discovery of the insulin responsive glucose transporter GLUT4. He has won several awards including the Glaxo Wellcome Medal for Medical Research and he is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. His current work focusses on how genetics and the environment work together to control metabolic health and disease.