James Fullerton

James Fullerton studied Experimental Psychology at Oxford University (New College) prior to Medicine at the University of Birmingham, receiving the Gold Medal and Chancellors Prize. Following the NIHR Integrated Academic Training pathway throughout, he undertook the majority of his clinical training at University College London Hospital. 

James completed his PhD in the laboratory of Prof Derek Gilroy at University College London (UCL) in 2015, exploring the contribution of inflammation-induced eicosanoids to innate immune suppression. As a post-doctoral researcher then NIHR Clinical Lecturer he undertook year-long Fellowships at The George Institute for Global Health (Critical Care and Trauma Division, Sydney) as well as an MRC-funded Industrial Fellowship at GlaxoSmithKline’s early phase facility (Clinical Unit Cambridge, Addenbrookes). Prior to moving to Oxford in 2020 he was Deputy Head of the Centre for Precision Healthcare at UCL (Division of Medicine).

Dr Fullerton currently splits his time between the University, where he is a Principal Investigator, and the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he is an Acute General Medicine Physician and Clinical Pharmacologist. In this latter role he contributes to both the Medicines Management and Therapeutics Committee and the Oxford University Hospitals/University of Oxford Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products / Genetic Modification Safety Committee. Externally he remains an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at UCL, sits on the Resuscitation Council (UK) Advanced Life Support Committee and is an Executive Editor for the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. He previously sat on UCL Research Ethics Committee for several years.

Dr Fullerton’s research focuses on the use of experimental medicine studies to promote scientific translation for patient benefit. In particular he is interested in the utility and development of human immune challenge models, seeking to design novel paradigms that will enable and catalyse the work of academic and industrial partners. Clinically, he is interested in understanding the host immune response to inflammatory stimuli, most notably infection, and how this can inform decision making in the context of acute, unscheduled care episodes. James sits on the Management Committee of the NIHR Oxford Experimental Medicine Clinical Research Facility, is Research Lead for Acute General Medicine at the John Radcliffe Hospital and co-ordinates the Academic Centre for UrgenT and Emergency Care (ACUTECare).

James has been heavily involved with education throughout his career is currently Lead for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Oxford University Medical School (years 4-6), Co-Lead of the Academic Specialised Foundation Programme (Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School / HEE Thames Valley) and Module Lead for the MSc in Genomic Medicine. He additionally acts as Supervisor to DPhil/PhD students at UCL and Oxford, Educational Supervisor to Internal Medicine Trainees and College Adviser to St Hilda’s students.