Dr James Butler

Dr James Butler is a Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences in the Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. He teaches on the BMBS Medicine, BSc Medical and Biomedical Sciences, BSc Neuroscience, and BSc Sport and Exercise Medical Sciences programmes. His area of expertise is in infection and immunity (microbiology and immunology), with his first degree in the wider biomedical sciences.

James holds the following leadership and management roles:

• Chair, BMBS Medical Sciences Integrated Learning Group (MS-ILG).
• Academic Lead for Lectures on the BMBS Medicine programme.
• Academic Co-lead for Widening Participation in Medicine, University of Exeter Medical School.
• Module Co-lead, CSC1013 Skills for Biomedical Sciences.

Qualifications:

BSc (Hons) MSc PhD PCAP FHEA MAcadMEd

Career:

James studied Biomedical Sciences as his first degree, followed by an MSc specialising in microbiology and immunology. His early research looked at mosaic tetracycline resistance genes and the use of probiotic bacterial DNA as an immunomodulator. His PhD was at the cross-disciplinary intersection of microbiology and nanomaterials, working to develop an antimicrobial nanocoating using silver nanoparticles to reduce nosocomial infections linked to hospital wastewater plumbing systems. During his PhD, he assisted with and led some undergraduate and postgraduate teaching across disciplines. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Microbiology, developing vaccines based on the bovine herpesvirus-4 platform against Streptococcus suis and Escherichia coli in animals in order to reduce agricultural antibiotic usage. James has also been involved in projects investigating emerging Gram-negative bacterial pathogens of interest including the genera Cupriavidus, Pandoraea and Ralstonia.

James joined the University of Exeter Medical School in 2022 as an Associate Lecturer in Medical Sciences and was promoted in 2023 to Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences. In July 2023, James took up the role of Chair of the BMBS Medicine programme's Medical Sciences Integrated Learning Group (MS-ILG), a committee that ensures the integration, definition and delivery of medical sciences teaching, learning and assessment for undergraduate medical students (via primarily problem based learning (PBL), Life Science Resource Centre (LSRC), workshop, lecture and WRAP provision). Alongside this role overseeing medical sciences teaching on the BMBS Medicine programme, James is the Academic Lead for Lectures. James co-leads the CSC1013 Skills for Biomedical Sciences module on the BSc Biomedical Sciences programme and is an Academic Tutor for around 25 students across undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes. James has an interest in widening access to and participation in higher education, specifically medical and biomedical education, and is the Academic Co-lead for Widening Participation in Medicine. James is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a Member of the Academy of Medical Educators (MAcadMEd), and an External Examiner at the University of Chester.