Dr. Marsha D. Rappley is the Vice President for Health Sciences and CEO of the VCU Health System.
Previous to her appointment, Dr. Rappley, a pediatrician, served as dean of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. During her 10 years as dean, she greatly expanded research, endowments and the education of physicians to every corner of Michigan.
She is a national leader in academic medicine, having recently been elected as chair of the board of directors of the Association of American Medical Colleges. She also serves on the Research Advisory Panel of the AAMC, advocating for support of NIH and the anchor academic institutions like VCU, where this work is carried out in our health system and laboratories every day. Dr. Rappley previously served on the board of directors for the Association for Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, the American Board of Pediatrics sub-board for developmental and behavioral pediatrics and chair of U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s pediatric advisory committee. She recently completed six years on the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits U.S., Puerto Rican and Canadian medical schools.
Dr. Rappley was also a tenured professor of pediatrics and human development at MSU and was consistently been named a Top Doc and one of the Best Doctors in America by her peers. She has been recognized for distinguished service by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her research has focused on children with ADHD, learning problems and other serious mental health challenges.
Dr. Rappley rose through the ranks at MSU, as a director of various clinics, interim chair of the Pediatrics and Human Development Department, associate dean for academic affairs and then dean. She earned a nursing degree from the University of Michigan and her medical degree from Michigan State University and performed her residency in pediatrics at University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital. She is board certified in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.