Clay Marsh

A national leader in academic and personalized medicine and in pulmonary and critical care, Dr. Clay Marsh has concentrated his efforts in determining how to help individuals stay healthy and how to create ecosystems to make this easier. ​

As West Virginia University’s chief health officer, Marsh is focused on finding statewide solutions for health and wellbeing, while addressing the most vexing health challenges in West Virginia and throughout the world.

Marsh not only shapes the direction of the University’s five health professions schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health and its statewide allied health programs and clinical operations, he also serves as the state’s lead representative and spokesperson, both nationally and internationally, in the areas of health, health education and academic medicine. He co-leads WVU Medicine, West Virginia's largest healthcare enterprise and largest employer.

Marsh has been instrumental in the effort to recruit close to 1,000 new physicians to WVU since his arrival. Under his leadership, WVU has expanded services in five signature programs that include the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Institute, WVU Medicine Children’s and the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute and has forged relationships to create new and innovative partnerships such as The Purpose Institute, WVU Substance Misuse Task Force, Healthy Harrison and the WVU Medicine Center for Integrative Pain Management.

In response to the challenges of COVID-19, Marsh was appointed “COVID-19 czar” by Gov. Jim Justice in March 2020. In this role, Marsh coordinates the state’s response to COVID-19 by collaborating with federal, state and local agencies, health officials, researchers and other agencies aiding in the effort. In addition, Marsh also advocates for the personal responsibilities of West Virginia’s citizens to help lower the spread of infection of COVID-19 across the state.