James McCullagh

James McCullagh is a Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Oxford's Department of Chemistry, where he directs the Mass Spectrometry Research Facility. His research bridges chemistry, biology, and medicine to investigate small molecule functions in biochemical systems through metabolomics and proteomics approaches.

• 20 years of expertise in (bio)analytical chemistry
• Develops advanced mass spectrometry techniques (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, ion-mobility MS)
• Manages £10M+ analytical infrastructure with 20 mass spectrometer systems
• Active in teaching, supervision, and editorial roles

Research focuses on:

• Metabolomics of disease states and genetic mutations
• Environmental biomarker discovery
• Method development for polar metabolite analysis
• Compound-specific radiocarbon dating applications
• Pharmacometabolomics and palaeodietary reconstruction

His work combines mass spectrometry, NMR, and fluorescence detection to explore molecular phenotyping at systems level. Current projects investigate ion-mobility MS for metabolite identification and host-microbiome metabolic interactions.

Contact: james.mccullagh@chem.ox.ac.uk