Black became the department head of pharmacology at University College London in 1973. He created a new undergraduate course in medicinal chemistry. He had many problems trying to get money for research, so he quit. He went to work for Wellcome Research Laboratories in 1978. He worked there until 1984. Black then became Professor of Analytical Pharmacology at the Rayne Institute of King's College London medical school. He stayed there until 1992. He created the James Black Foundation in 1988 with money from Johnson and Johnson. He worked with 25 scientists in drugs research. This research included gastrin inhibitors which may stop some stomach cancers.