If you’ve followed Lisa Ling’s career—from The View to This Is Life—you’ve probably wondered about the person she goes home to. Her husband is Dr. Paul Song, a physician-turned-biotech executive whom she married in 2007. The couple resides in Santa Monica, California, with their two daughters, Jett and Ray.
Who Is Paul Song? A Career in Medicine and Biotechnology
Paul Song isn’t just “Lisa Ling’s husband”—he’s had a distinguished career in his own right. He’s a physician by training and currently serves as CEO and chairman of NKGen Biotech, a role he’s held since January 2023. He joined the company in 2014 and previously served as its chief operating officer and chief medical officer.
Beyond NKGen, Song has held numerous leadership positions. He co-founded Fuse Biotherapeutics and served as its CEO from 2021 to 2023. His current portfolio includes roles as partner at Calyx Peak, chief medical advisor at Hawkeye Bio, and senior strategic advisor at Pepromene Bio. He also sits on the boards of organizations including Physicians for a National Health Program, Mercy Corps, and Progressive Democrats of America.
Song’s transition from clinical medicine to biotechnology was inspired by his father, who fled Korea before the Korean War and pursued advanced degrees in Canada and the United States. His father’s experiences shaped Song’s perspective and ultimately influenced his career pivot.
How Lisa Ling and Paul Song Met and Married
Lisa Ling announced her engagement to Song on January 3, 2007. The couple married on May 26, 2007, in Los Angeles. Their wedding was notable not just for the celebration but for the guest list, which included Connie Chung—one of Ling’s personal heroes—along with actresses Kelly Hu and Diane Farr.
At the time of their marriage, Song was working as a radiation oncologist at Chicago’s Little Company of Mary Hospital in the Department of Radiology. The couple eventually settled in Santa Monica, where they continue to live today.
Building a Family: Daughters Jett and Ray
Lisa Ling has been candid about her journey to motherhood. In a 2018 interview, she shared that she “never really had that biological desire to have a child” until she and Song had been married for several years. Their path wasn’t without heartbreak—Ling suffered a miscarriage in 2010, making the eventual arrival of their children even more meaningful.
The couple welcomed their first daughter, Jett Ling Song, on March 8, 2013. She weighed 6 lbs., 6 oz. at birth. Their second daughter, Ray Ling Song, was born on June 6, 2016.
Ling has spoken openly about how motherhood transformed her. “Honestly, I am so glad that I have these two children, because they are the light of my life,” she told Mother magazine.
Paul Song as a #GirlDad: Basketball, Taylor Swift, and Tea Parties
If you follow Paul Song on Instagram, you’ll quickly notice something: his bio leads with #girldad. He has an entire Instagram Stories Highlight dedicated to the role, and his feed is filled with moments of fatherhood—from choreographed dance routines with his daughters to jamming out to Taylor Swift in a pink carriage in New York City.
Song is a die-hard New York Knicks fan, and he’s passed his love of basketball on to his younger daughter, Ray. He frequently shares videos of them practicing together, noting that “my eight-year-old is already way better than I ever was”. There’s just one problem: Ray is an “LA girl at heart” who roots for the Lakers over his Knicks.
His posts capture a father who fully embraces his daughters’ interests—whether that means dressing up like an Oreo for a family costume, having tea at the Hello Kitty Café, or cheering at Jett’s dance recitals. It’s the kind of parenting presence that feels genuine rather than performative, a window into a family that clearly cherishes its time together.
Life in Santa Monica: A Family Anchored in California
The Ling-Song family calls Santa Monica home. It’s where they’ve built their life together—raising two daughters, navigating demanding careers, and finding moments of normalcy amid Ling’s globetrotting journalism assignments.
Lisa Ling has described her work as an “anthropological exploration” of the country, but her personal life seems to provide the stability that makes that exploration possible. Paul Song, with his biotechnology career and his very public devotion to fatherhood, appears to be the steady counterweight to her often-intense professional pursuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Paul Song do for a living?
Paul Song is a physician and biotechnology executive. He currently serves as CEO and chairman of NKGen Biotech and has held leadership roles at multiple biotech companies and nonprofit boards.
When did Lisa Ling and Paul Song get married?
They married on May 26, 2007, in Los Angeles, California.
How many children do Lisa Ling and Paul Song have?
They have two daughters: Jett Ling Song, born March 8, 2013, and Ray Ling Song, born June 6, 2016.
Where do Lisa Ling and Paul Song live?
The family resides in Santa Monica, California.
Is Paul Song a doctor?
Yes. He is a physician by training and worked as a radiation oncologist before transitioning into biotechnology leadership.
Lisa Ling’s career has taken her to some of the most difficult and fascinating corners of the world. But her marriage to Paul Song—and the family they’ve built together—seems to be the grounding force that keeps it all in perspective. Whether he’s cheering on Ray at a basketball game or posting a Taylor Swift dance video with his girls, Song’s public persona is refreshingly unguarded: a father who shows up, participates, and clearly loves every minute of it.
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