James Ward is a Pitjantjatjara and Nukunu man, an infectious diseases epidemiologist and a leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research. He is currently the Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland. In various roles over 25 years in Aboriginal public health policy, he built a national programme of research in epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases, with a particular focus on STIs, HIV and viral hepatitis in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Previously, he worked at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Baker IDI in Alice Springs and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. He has served on numerous committees, including the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia, Australian National Council on Alcohol and Drugs, CDNA COVID-19 Working Group and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Taskforce. He has over 120 publications and leads several large-scale public health and infectious diseases studies.