Rate My Professor Tyler James

Tyler G. James is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan, contributing to Health Science through his expertise in disability health. He earned a Ph.D. in Health Behavior from the University of Florida in 2021, with a concentration in Health Behavior and a minor in Research and Evaluation Methodology; an M.S. in Health Education and Behavior in 2017; and a B.S. in Psychology in 2016, with a minor in Geography, both from the University of Florida. Prior to his current role, he held positions as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Research Fellow in the University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine from 2021 to 2023. A Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) with over 11 years of experience in health education and promotion, James teaches social epidemiology (EPID 591) in the University of Michigan School of Public Health and mixed methods through the Michigan Mixed Methods Program.

James's research centers on healthcare access, utilization, and delivery for people with sensory disabilities, with particular emphasis on developmental onset sensory disabilities, DeafBlindness, and CHARGE syndrome—the leading genetic cause of DeafBlindness in the United States. He applies social epidemiology, legal epidemiology, applied latent variable modeling, psychometrics, qualitative, and mixed methods research. Notable publications include "Trends in U.S. National Institutes of Health Funding for CHARGE Syndrome Research, 2000 to 2024" (American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 2026), "Non-English Communication Access in Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Facilities in the U.S., 2024" (medRxiv, 2025), and a contribution to "Burden of 375 diseases and injuries... Global Burden of Disease Study 2023" (The Lancet, 2025). His impact extends to editorial roles as Associate Editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research and member of the Editorial Board of Disability and Health Journal; appointments to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Rare Disease Advisory Council; service on the American Public Health Association-Disability Section Executive Committee; and the Board of Directors of Disability Rights Florida since 2023. Awards include the 2023 Davenport Fellowship from the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation, 2023-24 membership in the Michigan Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (MI-LEND) long-term cohort, and participation in the 2023-24 Rare Disease Clinical Research Training Program at Children's National Hospital.