W. Ray Kim, Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic Arizona,obtained his MD from Seoul National University and his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. After completing his medical residency at Seoul National University and the University of Arkansas, he pursued a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Subsequently, Ray joined the faculty of the Mayo College of Medicine, where he established his research on prognostication in patients with chronic liver disease. He is renowned for his work in developing, validating, and refining the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score.

In 2013, he was recruited to Stanford University to lead the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Under his leadership, the Division thrived with significant growth in the breadth and depth of faculty expertise, innovative educational programs for GI, liver, and other advanced fellowships, excellence in scientific scholarship, and a supportive community focused on mentorship and individual growth.