Professor James Nolan joined Keele University having qualified in medicine from Leeds University. Following initial posts in medical specialties he trained in academic and interventional cardiology in Leeds, London, Edinburgh and Amsterdam before taking up an NHS consultant post at the University Hospital of North Midlands (UHNM) in 1998, where he established the UKs first large scale program of transradial cardiac procedures.
His areas of clinical practice cover complex coronary intervention and percutaneous treatment of structural heart disease. He played a major role in developing the cardiology service at UHNM into one of the largest and most successful interventional centres in the UK, establishing it as a globally recognised centre of excellence for treatment of cardiac disease. He was a council member of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society for twelve years, establishing the societies international fellowship program and its education and training group. He was a member of the cardiology specialty advisory committee along with other national roles. He was actively involved in editorial roles with several journals and online educational forums and was a council member of international cardiology societies in France and the USA.
He established an active program of education and training in optimised access site practice, running an annual globally respected masterclass as well as a centre of excellence program and multiple other regional and local initiatives.
His research interests cover all aspects of cardiovascular disease with a particular focus on the autonomic pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease and the impact of access site practice on outcomes of cardiac interventions. He has contributed to over 220 highly cited peer reviewed publications and more than 20 textbooks.
This body of academic and educational activity has had significant practice changing impact on the care of cardiac patients and led to two lifetime achievement awards from national and international societies.