Dr. James McMenimen joined the Division of Hospital Medicine in the Department of Medicine as an Instructor in June of 2021. He was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. During his studies, he was able to spend a summer as an AMGEN scholar, conducting organic chemistry research at the California Institute of Technology. He graduated cum laude from Carleton with a major in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. Following graduation, he gained experience in medical research while working for three years as a research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Welsh at the University of Iowa. There, he investigated the biophysical properties of mucus and mucociliary transport defects in cystic fibrosis using a novel porcine model. Following this, he entered medical school and received his medical degree in 2018 from the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine with distinction in research. During his time in medical school, he was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and awarded with the Melvin Marcus Clinical Research award and the Research Excellence in Internal Medicine Award for his presentations during the Carver College of Medicine Medical Student Research Day.
Dr. McMenimen completed his internship and residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital / Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis prior to joining the Division in 2021. His academic interests include inpatient medicine, improving medical outcomes, treating sepsis and pulmonary disease. He also looks forward to participating in clinical education for medical students and resident physicians. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, playing pickleball and basketball, rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals, playing strategy board games and going on walks with his greyhound.