James grew up in Bountiful, Utah. He spent two years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he gained a love and respect for the culture and learned to speak Spanish. He later graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in chemistry. The white-capped mountains of Utah were traded in for the white-sand beaches of the gulf coast to attend Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL. James has since settled with his family in Nashville at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he completed pediatrics residency, in addition to a year as a chief resident. He is excited to continue training in pediatric pulmonology at VUMC, with a research interest in improving our understanding of rare lung diseases of childhood.

Outside of work, life revolves around his wife and children. Youth soccer games, swimming, bowling, and the many parks around Nashville fill their time. Audiobooks, involvement in teaching children at church, and benefiting from any product of his wife’s cooking are a few of his other pastimes. He is also passionate about serving the Spanish-speaking population, given his time spent in Argentina.

Presentations During Fellowship:

1. Jan. 2024 "It's Just Asthma... Right?," Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Case Conference Series, American Thoracic Society
2. Clegg J. Catamenial Hemoptysis: An Elusive Case of Recurrent Hemoptysis. ATS Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Case Conference. Jan 2025. Virtually presented from Nashville, TN.
3. Clegg J. Evaluation and Management of Chronic Cough. AAP Celebration of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine. Invited Lecture. February 2025. New Orleans, LA.
4. Clegg J. Evaluation of Management of Noisy Breathing. AAP Celebration of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine. Invited Lecture. February 2025. New Orleans, LA.

Honors and Awards:

1. Childhood Infections Research Program (ChIRP) T32 Training Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (2024-Present)
2. Fellow Teaching Award, VUMC Department of Pediatrics (2024)

Dr. Ekker completed medical school at LSU New Orleans. He moved to Nashville in 2018 for residency at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and has been here ever since. He continued his training as a chief resident and transitioned into faculty in the Division of Academic General Pediatrics, where he was able to continue pursuing his interest in resident education and mentorship. Clinically, Dr. Ekker is interested in preventative medicine and adolescent sexual health. His scholarly interests include fostering clinical reasoning and enhancing educational delivery in the outpatient setting.

When he’s not at work, Dr. Ekker enjoys spending time with his dog, reaping the—modest—benefits of his backyard garden, and exploring the Nashville restaurant and music scene.