James’s research focuses on improving the design, conduct and analysis of studies involving clustered data, particularly cluster randomised trials and other trial designs that include multiple time periods. His work addresses key methodological challenges in these studies, including correlated outcomes, varying cluster sizes, and optimal approaches to randomisation, monitoring and analysis. This research builds on his PhD in biostatistics, which examined methodological issues in stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials, and has developed into a broader programme of work aimed at strengthening the design and evaluation of large-scale clinical and public health trials.

James collaborates widely with clinical researchers, public health scientists and international partners to apply these methods in practice. He was the lead trial statistician for the Gates Foundation-funded E-MOTIVE trial, a large multi-country cluster randomised trial involving more than 200,000 women across four African countries evaluating a bundle of interventions to improve the detection and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. The trial informed international clinical guidelines and resulted in high-impact publications in the New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Medicine. He continues to contribute to a programme of follow-up studies evaluating postpartum haemorrhage diagnosis and care in global health settings.

James previously served as a senior statistician on the MRC-funded APT-Sepsis programme, an international study evaluating interventions to improve the prevention and treatment of maternal sepsis, which was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He is also a senior statistician on a Gates Foundation-funded trial led by the World Health Organization evaluating the impact of antenatal corticosteroids on preterm mortality, and contributes statistical leadership to several other global health cluster trials conducted across Africa and Asia.

Beyond maternal health, James has contributed statistical expertise to a wide range of clinical and public health studies, including trials in paediatrics, infectious disease, school-based health interventions and chronic disease. His work has involved collaborations with organisations such as the World Health Organization and research programmes funded by the Gates Foundation, the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

James also contributes to the development of the wider research community. He is the statistical lead for the NIHR Research Support Service Birmingham Hub, where he provides methodological advice on grant applications and fellowships across clinical, public health and global health research. He is also Deputy Chair for the NIHR Health and Care Professions (HCP) Doctoral Fellowship scheme, supporting the development of future clinical academic researchers. Within CMH, James is part of the Fellowship Academy, supporting colleagues in developing and submitting personal awards. 

James Martin completed a BSc in Mathematics at the University of Birmingham in 2012 before undertaking a PhD in Biostatistics at the University of Birmingham, which he completed in 2017. His doctoral research focused on methodological issues in stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials. He was later awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education with Distinction from the University of Birmingham in 2021.

James began working at the University of Birmingham as a trial statistician in 2015, before taking up a position as a Research Fellow within the Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis, Test Evaluation and Modelling (BESTEAM) research group in 2016. In 2018 he was appointed as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Biostatistics in the Department of Applied Health Sciences and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2025.

Alongside his research activities, James holds several teaching and leadership roles within the Department of Applied Health Sciences. He has been the teaching lead for the BESTEAM research group since 2024, overseeing the delivery and development of statistics teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Since 2025 he has also served as Deputy Programme Lead for the Master of Public Health (MPH), contributing to the strategic development and delivery of the programme. In 2025 he also became one of the Fellowship Academy leads for the Department of Applied Health Sciences, supporting colleagues in the development of competitive research fellowship applications.

James contributes to the wider research community as Deputy Chair for the NIHR Health and Care Professions (HCP) Doctoral Fellowship scheme, a role he has held since 2026, after being a panel member since 2023. He also teaches and supervises students across programmes in Medicine, Public Health and Clinical Trials within the College of Medicine and Health.