Dr. Isbell graduated in 2003, first in his class, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He was a general surgery resident at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. James Isbell finished two fellowships, in surgical critical care and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dr. Isbell has board certification in two specialties, thoracic and general surgery, and currently practices as a thoracic surgeon at the University of Virginia Cancer Center Cardiac Surgery Clinic. He has several areas of interest in surgical treatment, such as malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, mediastinal and chest wall tumors and esophageal cancer.