Jim joined SNOMED International in June 2015, seconded on a part time basis from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), providing leadership across the Content Development and Mapping areas. After retiring from the NLM in December 2018, Jim transitioned wholly to SNOMED International, retaining his half-time role as the Head of Terminology.

Jim received his MS in Genetics from Stanford University and both his D.V.M. and Ph.D. (Comparative Pathology) from UC Davis. He served as Professor of Clinical Diagnostic Informatics with the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System at UC Davis from 1986 until 2010. In 1995, his efforts were focused on the development of national veterinary data standards.

Having been heavily involved in standards development organizations, Jim has served as a member of the Laboratory LOINC committee, co-chair of the Health Level Seven vocabulary work group, Director at large for HL7 and is currently a member of the WHO Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee for ICD-11. He was Professor of Clinical Diagnostic Informatics at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, from 1987-2010. He served at the NLM from January 2010 to December 2018, where his primary role was the development and maintenance of the US extension to SNOMED CT and addition of US content into the International release of SNOMED CT. He is the first veterinarian to be elected to the American College of Medical Informatics.