Harry J. Ward, is a distinguished nephrologist and internal medicine specialist with a career spanning over four decades in clinical practice, academic medicine, and military service. Born in Santa Maria, California, Dr. Ward earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Carleton College in 1974 and his medical degree with honors from Howard University College of Medicine in 1976, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed his internship in straight medicine at Cook County Hospital, followed by residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, serving as Senior Resident Associate (Chief Resident) from 1977 to 1979. He subsequently pursued fellowship training in renal immunopathology (1979–1981) and clinical nephrology (1981–1982) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology, Dr. Ward is also a certified hypertension specialist and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. His academic appointments include Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCLA (1981), Assistant and later Associate Professor of Medicine-in-Residence at UCLA, and Professor of Medicine at Drew University School of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Boonshoft-Wright State Medical University. He has served as Chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at King/Drew Medical Center, Medical Director of the Renal Transplant Section at Harbor-UCLA, and Chief of Medicine at the Dayton and Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. He has also held leadership roles as Director of Central Immunology Laboratory and Chief of the Nephrology Section at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center.

Dr. Ward’s military service includes over 30 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve Medical Corps, culminating as Captain and Deputy Surgeon, COMPACFLT, with deployments including Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and multiple operational hospital support assignments. His numerous decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and the Army Commendation Medal.

A prolific researcher and educator, Dr. Ward has contributed extensively to nephrology literature, including seminal work on renal transplantation, hypertension, and glomerular disease. He has led multiple NIH-funded studies, presented at over 200 national and international conferences, and served on editorial boards for journals such as the American Journal of Nephrology, Transplantation, and Kidney International. He has also held advisory roles with the National Kidney Foundation, United Network for Organ Sharing, and numerous professional societies.