Since October of 2014, James have been a Senior Research Specialist in the laboratory of Dr. Paul Langlais. Throughout his time in this role, James main research goals have been to characterize the CLASP2 interactome in adipocytes and myotubes, characterize the interactomes of CLASP2 interacting proteins, and to further elucidate the functions of CLASP2 in insulin signal transduction. James perform a wide array of general laboratory biochemical, molecular biology, cell culture, and mass spectrometry based techniques. He is responsible for collaborating with researchers and technicians from other groups, ordering lab products/equipment, set up/organization of the laboratory environment, assisting with manuscript and grant preparation, participating in group lab meetings and journal club presentations, training new lab members, and lab/equipment maintenance.
James was awarded a B.S. degree in Biology from Indiana University in 2011. After his undergraduate studies, he moved to The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, where he worked for five years as a Research Technologist. At this institution, James held several different positions working in academic and clinical research roles that provided him with a wide range of skills. Techniques that James gained experience in include but are not limited to microscopy, histology, clinical research laboratory techniques, and the handling and manipulation of mice and rats for in vivo metabolic studies.