James is a Chief Investigator within the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA). He is a quantitative and applied ecologist with extensive experience in field ecology, long-term ecological monitoring, experimental design, ecological statistics, reproducible data science, biosecurity risk analysis and project management. James' research focuses on two primary areas: 1) understanding and forecasting changes in biodiversity, especially under climate change; and 2) enhancing post-border surveillance networks to protect Australia’s environmental, social and economic values from exotic pests and diseases.