A Morgantown magazine Mover & Shaper, Health Care Edition.
Written by Taylor Maple
From frontline hospital staff to indie acupuncturists, trauma therapists, and bodyworkers carving their own paths, our Movers & Shapers Health Care Edition brings you wellness professionals who are redefining what health looks like in this town.
Michigan native Dr. James Berry planned to be a family doctor—but one of his last medical school rotations, with a psychiatrist who specialized in addiction, was transformative. He changed course, heading to WVU for a general psychiatry residency. Now he’s the chair of WVU’s Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry and director of addictions for the WVU Medicine Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.
Using his platform and expertise, Berry has testified before the U.S. Senate and has lent his perspective to outlets like NPR and Politico. He feels that his training and experience call on him to help break the stigma and misunderstanding that often comes with the struggle. “It’s an important and weighty responsibility to share that with others and help bring light into much of the darkness that exists out there.” Berry has high hopes for the people of West Virginia. Particularly if the state expands the workforce and treatment capacity needed to address its behavioral health needs, he sees no reason why West Virginia can’t be a global leader in the delivery of behavioral health care.
READ MORE STORIES FROM OUR FALL 2025 ISSUE