Dr James Johnston

Senior Lecturer, Department of Surgery, The University of Auckland & Consultant, Starship Children’s Hospital, Auckland, NZ

James was born and grew up in Auckland, where his early leadership as head prefect and his sporting achievements for the First XV rugby team and regional golf team were complemented by his academic dedication. Awarded the University of Auckland Chancellor’s Scholarship and the National Bluelight Scholarship of Excellence, he won the JDK North Prize for Most Distinguished Graduate in Medicine at the University of Auckland School of Medicine. During his training, he received a prestigious surgeon-scientist scholarship from the Passe & Williams Foundation to undertake a PhD, investigating what causes diseases of the tonsils and adenoids. He completed his surgical training and achieved Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2023.

James then completed a fellowship at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, the world’s first dedicated children’s hospital and one of the few centres globally to perform high-volume paediatric airway reconstruction. This fellowship was also supported by the Passe & Williams Foundation through their Academic Surgeon Scientist Fellowship. While in London, he was admitted as a member of the international postgraduate deanery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MIPDEd). He went on to join the University of Sydney Voice Lab and complete the Sydney International Laryngology Fellowship. He is now a senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery at the University of Auckland and has authored over fifty peer-reviewed publications.

​Recognising New Zealand’s geographic isolation and the need for children to benefit from expertise gained at leading international centres, James is committed to establishing a dedicated academic paediatric Otolaryngology unit at Starship Children’s Hospital, where he also serves as a consultant. He is particularly driven to address the health inequities faced by Māori and Pasifika children, ensuring they receive the same world-class care as anywhere in the world.