The 2021 Addiction Policy Forum Pillar of Excellence Reward is awarded to Dr. James Berry
Presented annually, this award is to honor those in the field who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in improving our response to individuals with substance use disorders and communities in need.
James H. Berry, DO is Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at West Virginia University School of Medicine and the Director of Addictions. He is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. He received his medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed a General Psychiatry residency at West Virginia University and an Addiction Psychiatry fellowship at the University of Hawaii. He and his colleagues at WVU have developed innovative community-based treatment models in response to the addiction crisis in Appalachia and are actively engaged in novel National Institute of Drug Abuse supported neuromodulation research related to substance use disorders through WVU’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.
Dr. Berry has been a dedicated clinician and enthusiastic educator in West Virginia since the early days of the opioid epidemic. Statewide, he serves as a member of the West Virginia Governor’s Advisory Council on Substance Use Disorders. Nationally, He serves as Vice Chair of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology’s Addiction Psychiatry Examination Committee, and is a member on the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine Board of Trustees, the Academy for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care’s National Integrational Academy Council, and the Addiction Policy Forum’s Scientific Advisory Board. He has enjoyed advocating on behalf of those suffering from mental illness and addiction before audiences as varied as local town hall meetings to testifying before the United States Senate. Media appearances have included The Doctors television show, The Huffington Post, Politico, The Washington Post and NPR. He and his patients were featured in the PBS NOVA documentary: Addiction that exposed a national audience to the science behind addiction and the humanity of those who suffer.
To hear more about Dr. Berry from his colleagues, view the video below.
Join us virtually November 4-5 for the 2021 National Leadership Conference, and help us celebrate all of the award winners who are making improvements in the field of addiction.