The promotion to professor (The UWI's highest academic rank) was the result of a rigorous review of the quantity and quality of their research, publications, teaching, and other professional activities by both internal and external assessors. Dr James received commendation for the practical applicability of their research and potential impact value for industry and societal sectors within the Caribbean region and globally.

Professor of Eating Disorders, Body Image and Mental Health at The UWI Mona Campus, Professor James is also a proud alumna who holds her BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in Clinical Psychology from The UWI. She was certified as an Eating Disorder Specialist by the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals in 2014.

Mental well-being, mental health, body image, and disordered eating in context of Caribbean culture and cross-national comparisons are at the centre of Professor Caryl James’ research agenda. One assessor noted, “Her research provides an emic lens through which we can better understand eating disorders and body image in Caribbean cultural settings.”

Her substantial body of scholarly work includes a co-authored monograph The Political culture of democracy in Jamaica (2007); the book Traditional and Western Medicine – Voices from Jamaican Psychiatric Patients. Six book chapters; 21 published refereed journal articles with more than ten in progress. She has served as a reviewer for several journals, supervised 25 postgraduate researchers and partnered internationally for research. This work has included collaborations with Utrecht College; Johns Hopkins University contributing to the UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report 2021; the University of New Orleans and the Caribbean Institute for Health Research.

Professor James served as Chair of the Jamaican Chapters of the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (2019-2021) and pioneered the first International Eating Disorder Conference in Jamaica in 2012. She chaired the conference ‘Dying to be Beautiful? Body Image, Eating Behaviours, and Health in the Caribbean’ in 2012 and co-chaired the 2014 and 2017 editions.

Outside of academia, Professor James has served as Honorary Consultant, Department of Child and Adolescent Health Faculty of Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies Hospital since 2011. She has trained community health aides to administer problem-solving therapy to patients in underserved communities; has delivered several workshops and training sessions; and has also been featured in international and local media. These activities were commended by one assessor as outreach which “brings her knowledge to an audience outside of research and academia [and] in support of professional organisations and activities aligned with her areas of focus.”

(Extracted from The University of the West Indies Internal Communique, April 10, 2024)