Dr. B. Mark Zhao graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. He then moved to the Midwest to attend the University of Iowa for medical school.

Post-medical school, he returned to UC San Diego for his general surgery residency, while also earning a Master of Advanced Studies and completing a two-year NLM-funded Informatics fellowship. He then went back to the Midwest to complete his colon and rectal surgery fellowship at Washington University in St Louis.

Dr. Zhao is interested in all aspects of colon and rectal surgery, but he is especially interested in robotic surgery, advanced endoscopy, and pelvic floor disorders. His research focuses on biomedical informatics, implementation science, surgical outcomes, and quality improvement. "I aim to use informatics and implementation science to improve patient outcomes," Dr. Zhao stated.