Program Enrichment

Amanda Marie James received her BS in Biochemistry from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, and her PhD in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has received both formal and informal training in promoting equity and inclusion within academic and research settings. As a mentor, course facilitator, and outreach advocate and coordinator, Dr. James has been dedicated to cultivating an environment that supports academic advancement while ensuring all learners have equitable access to the resources necessary for their success.

Her traditional scientific training is in clinical technology (pharmacological and application-based) and biomedical engineering, with specific training and expertise in the detection of clinical samples and method development. As a graduate trainee at UAB, she developed and validated mass spectrometry methods for the detection and quantification of two different antiretroviral drugs. Her current research interests focus on the identification of encapsulated and nonencapsulated circulating microRNAs as biomarkers for coronary atherosclerosis. She is specifically interested in the frequency/abundance of coronary atherosclerotic isomiRs, (isoforms of microRNA) and their correlation to clinically relevant outcomes based on race and co-morbidities of coronary atherosclerosis.

The skills she developed as a translational scientist have been highly applicable to her administrative roles. Her firsthand understanding of the academic and professional trajectory has been instrumental in supporting scholars from a broad range of backgrounds as they navigate the complexities of a large research university and global city. Currently, Dr. James serves as the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement in the James T Laney School of Graduate Studies at Emory University.