Regina James, M.D. serves as the APA’s Deputy Medical Director and Chief of the Division of Diversity and Health Equity responsible for ensuring that diversity and mental health equity objectives are valued and operationalized as vital components of the organization’s mission. Dr. James is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with over 25 years of experience, providing leadership and direction in the planning, policy development and implementation of national and international health disparity programs and initiatives for children and families.
Prior to joining APA, Dr. James served in numerous leadership positions including Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President at 2M Clinical, a clinical research organization and consultancy, where she was responsible for strategic medical leadership and content expertise for commercial and federal clients; Director of Clinical and Health Services Research at the National Institute on Minority Health & Health Disparities, where she received the National Institutes of Health Directors Award for exceptional leadership in the promotion and development of scientific programs that address gaps in minority health and healthcare disparities; and the Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute on Child Health & Human Development, where she led domestic and international programs addressing maternal and child health disparities.
Dr. James was also a member of the Child & Adolescent Workgroup for the development of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual Version Five (DSM-V) for Psychiatric Disorders. Dr. James completed an NIH research fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Child Psychiatry Branch, where she conducted clinical trials in children and adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other behavioral disorders; her work was recognized by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as the recipient of the Reiger Award for Scientific Achievement. She also served as a Special Expert at the NIMH providing child psychiatric and clinical research consultation.
Dr. James received both her Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Biology and her MD from the University of California, Los Angeles. She completed a residency in general psychiatry and fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and completed leadership training at the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program. Dr. James also serves on the Board of Trustees for the George Washington University.
She has lectured and published in the areas of health and healthcare disparities and has appeared on national media outlets addressing stigma surrounding mental illness in communities of color, improving access to care and the importance of demonstrating cultural humility when providing mental health care to individuals from diverse backgrounds.